The Scent of Time
by PhoenixPheathers12
Summary: It's November of 1913 and Rose Tyler finds herself faced with a man who looks just like the Doctor, but isn't him. Stuck in a time that isn't her own and no clue how she's back in her original world in the first place, she teams up with Martha to await the Doctor's return and face the mysterious enemy called the Family.
1. Chapter 1

I've been wanting to write this one for a while now, and I've spent so much time in class writing this in an empty notebook instead of paying attention. I figure I might as well post it then, eh? Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Disclaimers are cool.**

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><p><em>Her eyes glowed bright gold, shining with the power of the time vortex. The light that emanated from her nearly blinded him.<em>

_"I want my Doctor safe," she whimpered, her once powerful voice suddenly sounding like that of a lost child. _

_"Rose..."_

John Smith bolted upright in bed, panting heavily. The name echoed in his head with a voice that did not resemble his at all, and yet he knew that it was he who spoke them. With a sigh, he pulled away his covered and swung his legs over the edge. Sleeping any longer was pointless now. Her could not get her face out of his mind. He looked outside and saw that it was still dark, and a glance at the clock hanging on his wall confirmed that it was still only four in the morning. Running a hand through his messy hair, John took a seat at his desk and lifted a small journal and pen from a drawer. Then he promptly recorded his latest dream of the beautiful Rose and the Bad Wolf.

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><p>Rose Tyler kept her gaze locked with the strange, three-eyed, red-skinned alien, observing how he nervously shifted his weapon from one hand to another. The hot point of the laser, fresh from firing, burned her arm where he pressed it against the skin.<p>

"Why are you doin' this?" she asked him. His eyes narrowed.

"I did not say you to speak," he growled, his gravely voice stumbling slightly over the strange English.

"Too bad, mate. I didn't permit ya to threaten to invade my planet and kill all of the humans on it," Rose countered, adjusting her leather jacket casually. She made sure to look confident, to hide her absolute terror. It was her first time since joining Torchwood that she'd been in this situation, with the fate of the entire planet resting on her shoulders.

_The Doctor would know what to do,_ she thought, but then quickly pushed it away before the pain could strike.

"You will silence yourself or I will shoot," the alien threatened.

"Then do it." She knew it was a dangerous risk to anger him, but she continued on, like the Doctor would have. "But before you do, you could at the very least identify yourself."

He snarled, baring his sharp green teeth, and an odor of burnt rotten eggs and wet dog drifted from his breath, and Rose had to fight to not gag, holding her breath.

"I am Toremon of the Sayadel race on the planet Tevron VI. My people are dying of illness and we need Earth minerals to heal them!" he declared.

"So, you're goin' to kill an entire race for it? You could just ask, you know. Earth isn't hostile. We could help ya if ya just ask." Idly, Rose wondered how the Doctor would react to all of this if he were there.

Toremon scowled. "My people are a prideful race. We do not ask for help! It is shameful! And not hostile, you claim, and yet my scanners detect weapons aimed at my ship!"

"We're defensive, not hostile! How else would you respond if aliens came to your planet intendin' to burn everyone on it?" Rose cried. "And you must not care much for your planet if you won't even put aside your pride to save 'em." Her expression softened when she saw the pain flash across his face. "If you call off the attack, we will help you. We'll give you what you need and send you on your way, no hard feelings. But if you don't, we will have to stop you."

Toremon took two steps back, scowling again. "I don't believe you."

"If you don't believe me, then I'm sorry. We will take you down, Toremon. And I _really _don't want to do that. But we have to defend our planet." Toremon's face went blank.

"Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth," Toremon said, his voice sounding like an echo. Rose tensed as she remembered the last time she'd heard those words. "You are brave. Where does your courage come from?"

Rose gave a wry smile. "The hope that one day, things will get better." She stepped closer. "Now, let me-"

"Stay back!" Toremon barked. His eyes were solid green one instant, and suddenly had gone black the next. "You smell of time," he moaned, as if in pain. "You smell of time and the wolf."

Rose inhaled sharply, freezing. There it was again. Four times now, since working for Torchwood, she's come across an alien repeating the same phrase to her. Her thoughts went straight to the Doctor and her desires to once again use the powers she'd had as the Bad Wolf to return to him. Except that he'd taken it all out of her. She was powerless now.

"Toremon?" Rose asked hesitantly. He blinked, seeming to return to normal, the black in his eyes receding. He was panting heavily, as if he'd been running a long distance. Rose took another step, and panicking, Toremon pulled the trigger. Quickly, Rose turned and ran.

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><p>Martha walked slowly down the path towards the shed, rubbing her sore neck. All day long she'd been cleaning and running around, worked to the bone. She was so exhausted and sweaty that she couldn't even bare to wear her jacket, even on the chilly November evening. Behind her, the sun was nearly set, turning the horizon a beautiful shade of orange.<p>

"Those boys have no clue what's comin' to them. After next year, I'm sure they won't find war as fun as they do now," she muttered, thinking of their enthusiasm whenever they shoot their guns.

Everything about the time period disgusted revolted Martha. Particularly the way she was treated, simply for her color gender. She was willing to endure it for the Doctor, of course, but she wasn't going to have happy about it.

"Only a month left, at least," she murmured, thinking fondly of the prospect of finally getting out of there and going out to see the stars. She looked around herself cautiously as she neared the shed, making sure that no one was following her. To her relief, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, however, there was a bright light, and a woman appeared, running down the path, straight towards her. Martha froze and watched as the woman stopped dead in her tracks and fell to her knees, clutching her side.

Quickly, Martha ran to her and knelt beside her. "A-are you alright?" The woman, she noted, was blonde, beautiful, and very much out of her time, if her jeans and leather jacket were anything to go by. The woman, panting, snapped her head up to look at her.

"W-where am I?" she asked. She regarded Martha's clothes, her skin paling. "When am I?"

"We're in England. It's November 6th, 1913, if you're wondering," Martha informed her.

"1913?" The woman scowled. "That's... the second year of the war in this universe..." She looked around again, and tried to stand. However, she cried out, landing on her knees again, and clutched her side in pain. "Oh, brilliant. The bugger got me in the side..."

Martha helped her sit up. "Let me see. I'm a D- well, I'm just a servant, but I know a few things about first aide."

The woman regarded her warily. A strange light seemed to glow in her eyes. "A doctor. You're a doctor," she said. "And you are out of your time."

"What?" Martha leaned back a bit, and remembered the reason that they were there in the first place. They were hiding from the Family. And this woman could possibly be one of them. She couldn't trust her. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"You don't belong here." The light faded, suddenly, and the woman blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say somethin'?"

_Okay, so she's from another time period, injured, and now seems to be possessed by some weird golden light. Right._

"What's your name?" Martha asked her. The stranger hesitated.

"My name... My name is Jackie... Jackie Tyler."

For some reason, Martha knew it was a lie.

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><p>Ta-da! Chapter one! I hope you guys enjoyed! Review, please, so I can know what y'all think!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

****I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes, by the way. I have a really stupid key board that types things in wrong without my permission (honest!), and spell check is freaking bipolar.

**Disclaimer: Disclaimers are good.**

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><p>John Smith shrugged on his coat, preparing to go out for a walk. He stepped out of his room and walked down the stairs. Once outside, he breathed in the fresh, clean air, smiling.<p>

As he strolled, his thoughts drifting to Nurse Redfern. He couldn't deny that as of late, he'd found himself growing greatly attracted to her. She was very beautiful, and very clever. He could tell that she was something special compared to other humans. No, not humans, people. Why did he think humans? Strange.

John had only been at the school for a while, but he enjoyed his job. It was nice being able to stay in one place for a while instead of always running around moving from place to place. Not that he knew what the latter felt like, of course.

The setting sun around him, the chill of the air, and the sound of birds singing in the trees relaxed him, and for the first time in several days, he felt at peace. The confusion he felt from his dreams left him sometimes very disoriented during the day, and was one of the main causes for his always being in the clouds.

The Doctor seemed like such a remarkable man, albeit mad. He traveled the universe, and saved the world so many times, and he had so many friends with him. So many people that cared for him. And yet, for some reason, he was so lonely. It seemed to John that the only time he'd been one-hundred percent truly happy, or at least near it, in many many years was when he'd traveled with the girl, Rose. His other companions were amazing and he loved them, but it Rose was something special.

John Smith was very much in his own world at this point, so naturally it came as a surprise when he heard an all too familiar voice calling his name.

"Mr. Smith!" He turned and saw Martha coming his way, supporting a struggling figure.

"Martha? What-" The person Martha was supporting- a blonde woman- snapped her head up at the sound of his voice. John froze. She looked so familiar... But who was she? She certainly was not normal, dressed in pants and a leather jacket, her face painted with make-up unlike any he'd seen before.

The woman opened her mouth as if to speak, but the let out a low groan of pain before falling over, unconscious. Martha cried out as she fell, no longer able to support the dead weight. Mr. Smith, as if acting on instinct, rushed over, kneeling beside the fallen girl.

"What happened?" he asked. "Is she alright?"

Martha shook her head. "She's been injured badly on her abdomen. We need to get her to the Matron or she'll bleed out." John nodded, lifting her into his arms, bridal style. He struggled a bit as he rose to his feet, and managed to maintain his balance.

The found Nurse Redfern in her office just as she was preparing to head out to the pub.

"Good heavens!" she cried when they walked in. "What happened?"

"I found her, injured, about a quarter mile West. She said her name is Jackie Tyler. She's seriously hurt though, and bleeding very heavily," Martha explained as Mr. Smith set the girl gently on a bed. He nearly gasped when he saw the large blood stain that had transferred onto his jacket.

_Come on, John,_ he chastised himself. _You've seen far worse than this._

And yet he knew that for some reason, because it was _her, _that he felt so sick. But he'd never seen the girl before in his life! Why would he care so much?

"What is she wearing?" the Matron wondered as she began carefully peeling away the girl's leather jacket. Martha shrugged.

"That's just how I found her," she mumbled. John turned to her.

"She was conscious earlier. Did she say anything?" he inquired.

Martha hesitated. "She said her name was Jackie Tyler. And before she passed out she was mumbling something about her mum, but it was mostly incoherent."

"Right. She might have hit her head as well. We'll have to undress her to tend to her wounds. Mr. Smith, if you'd please?" John flushed, mumbling an apology as he quickly left the room. He stood outside, waiting patiently. He could hear them talking, but couldn't discern any recognizable words through the walls.

He pondered his feelings as he waited. The girl was so familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he knew her. He couldn't deny she greatly resembled the woman from his dreams. But of course they were two completely different people. One was fiction, the other real. One was named Rose. The other was Jackie. One was the love and companion of the Doctor, and the other... Well, John Smith was fairly certain he'd never set his eyes on her before in his life. And he'd certainly remember someone as beautiful as her.

A few minutes later, silence fell. He tensed as Martha stepped out, her eyes full of tears. He didn't have to ask. The girl was dead. They couldn't save her in time. He ignored the wave of despair that threatened to crash over him, swallowing thickly.

"Right. I'll-" He was cut off by the Matron's call through the open door.

"Martha! I need you!" The pair tensed and quickly returned to the room. What they saw made both their jaws drop.

The girl sat upright in the bed, clutching a sheet to her pale, naked torso, panting heavily. She was staring down at her legs as she tried to catch her breath, but John and Martha both noticed a strange, golden glow in her eyes.

Martha slapped a hand over her mouth while John stared, dumbstruck.

"Impossible! She was-"

"Doctor?" The girls eyes were trained on Mr. Smith, the gold seeming to fade. Martha inhaled sharply, glancing between the two. Mr. Smith froze, but did not respond. The Matron, however, rushed to the girl, shielding John from her line of sight.

"You need to lay down, Dear," she ordered soothingly, encouraging the girl to relax. Jackie tensed, cringing away from the woman. A sharp hiss escaped her lips, and Nurse Redfern recoiled. And then the girl blinked, the light completely gone. Now, she only appeared dazed, and very tired. She looked up at Nurse Redfern, confused.

"W-where am I?" she mumbled.

"Farringham Academy. Your name is Jackie, right?" The girl appeared confused a long moment, before nodding.

"Y-yes. Jackie Tyler... That's m'name... I- I forgot for a moment." Nurse Redfern smiled warmly.

"What do you remember?" Jackie frowned, clutching the sheets tighter.

"N-nothin'. I'm sorry. I can't remember anythin'." Martha bit her lip, forcing herself to avoid speaking. She had a place, after all, and couldn't risk getting sacked.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" the Matron asked, gesturing to her side. Jackie blinked and looked down at her side, as if surprised to see all of the blood.

"It doesn't hurt," she murmured, clearly taken aback. Martha frowned, watching as the Matron moved to Jackie's other side. She lifted the blanket slightly, just enough to see the wound while still preserving the young girl's dignity.

"It's stopped bleeding. Martha, get me a wet rag. I need to wash away the blood." Jackie stiffened, watching Martha as she complied, handing the cloth to the Matron. She expected it to hurt as she pressed the cloth to her side, but instead only felt a slight stinging as the blood was wiped away. "Remarkable," the nurse breathed.

Jackie frowned, confused to see, instead of the large fresh gash that she'd expected, what appeared to be a week old scar, the skin already coming together, puckered and pink.

"But... How?" she wondered, her thick brows furrowing together. The Matron looked up at Mr. Smith.

"Mr. Smith, would you fetch me the headmaster, please? I'm sure he'll want to see this."

Mr. Smith nodded and left. Jackie only looked up in time to watch as his retreating form vanished through the doorway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I know it's early on, but I'm gonna need help coming up with ideas for the disclaimers. I have made it my goal to use Doctor Who quotes, but it's hard finding ones that fit. So, give me some ideas in the reviews! Until then, I don't own this shit.  
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><p>Rose remained silent as the Matron wrapped a bandage around her torso, too busy trying to shake the feeling that she was missing something big, something right in her face. She knew it was a risk pretending to have no memory, but she had no way of explaining anything, at least not in any way that wouldn't lead to her being accused of... well, what of, she wasn't sure.<p>

So she lied, and took her mother's name. She honestly didn't know why she chose to go with Jackie instead of her real name, though. She'd said it before she could even think of the consequences. Hopefully, any strange behavior she displayed would just be taken as a result of her memory loss.

Once the Matron finished, she handed Rose dress for her to wear.

"Here you are. We'll give you some privacy," she said, turning for the door. Rose thanked her, smiling, and waited for both the Matron and Martha to close the door behind them before pulling on the clothes. It took her a moment to figure it all out, as it was rather different from the sort of clothes she was used to, but after a bit of fumbling and struggling around her bandaging, she managed to get it all on. Glancing at the door quickly, Rose made sure she was alone before digging into the pockets of her discarded clothes.

She found to her relief that her cell phone was still there and quickly hid it in the pocket of her dress. She continued searching her clothes for the TARDIS key that she'd always kept around her neck, but began to panic when it was no where in sight. She was about to begin searching the floor when a familiar voice from outside caught her attention. Her heart nearly stopped.

"Yes, it seems the child has forgotten everything except for her name. She was dressed in the most unusual clothes, though..."

Rose straightened and quickly returned to the bed just as the door opened, and the Matron strode in. Rose's eyes, however, were only for the man that walked in behind her. He wasn't wearing his typical pinstriped suit, and his hair was smoothed down into a much more professional style, but Rose would have known that face anywhere.

He was the Doctor.

Except that he wasn't. Because his eyes slid over Rose like she was nothing, and he continued to address the tall bald man beside him, talking in an all too familiar voice, except that it was so completely different. The face was the same, but Rose could see so many subtle and great differences in him, like the way he stood, how his eyes didn't seem to have that same ageless look, or the way his expression remained the same instead of changing and displaying the fifty-million emotions she was used to.

Rose quickly looked down before she was caught staring, scolding herself. Of course he wasn't the Doctor. The Doctor was in the other universe, her universe, far far away. This man was just some stranger with the same face.

"Miss Tyler?" Rose snapped her head up to look at the man addressing him. He was tall, bald, and had a fuzzy mustache resting on his top lip, and Rose had a feeling he was someone very important.

"Yes?" The man smiled kindly.

"Tell me, what can you remember." Rose scrunched her face, pretending to think, but then sighed and shook her head.

"Still nothing. I know my name, but that's it," she lied, biting her lip. The man gazed at her curiously.

"And your injury. Mr. Smith here says that it's already begun to heal." Rose glanced briefly at the Doctor-look-alike before looking back at the man. She nodded hesitantly.

"I don't understand it... It shouldn't be doing that, right?" she asked, feigning fear. "There must be something wrong with me..." After working with Torchwood for three years, Rose was good at faking emotions. She did, after all, have to pretend that she was still happy after initially being trapped. Of course, she did eventually let herself to feel more at home, albeit a bit restless. She would have rather crawled under her covers and laid there for the rest of her life, but she knew the Doctor wouldn't want that sort of life for her.

The man glanced up at the nurse, unsure, before looking back to Rose.

"I think that until you regain your memory, Miss Tyler, it would be in your best interest to remain here at Farringham. There is something very unusual about you, and I don't think it'd be safe or wise for you to go off on your own in the outside world. We can offer you food and shelter, and then once you're fully healed, perhaps even a job."

Rose hesitated, thinking deeply. She needed to get back home, but she had no clue how. And she'd been brought to that specific time and place for a reason. Perhaps by staying, she could figure out what it is. Whatever it was though, Rose had a feeling it had something to do with the Doctor-look-alike and the girl, Martha.

"I don't have anywhere else to go... Thank you, sir, very much. You're very kind," she said, giving a small smile. The man nodded, returning the smile.

"Good. I suppose I should introduce myself, then. I am the headmaster here at Farringham Academy. We are a prestigious school for boys. I welcome you, Miss Tyler, and I hope that you enjoy your stay."

Mr. Smith returned to his room around nine that night, weary from the day's events. After Miss Tyler had agreed to the conditions of her stay, they had her carefully transferred to a room in the same hall as the Matron, close by in case of any emergencies. He didn't speak a word to her, and absolutely refused to look at her. Something about her was far too unnervingly familiar, and it bothered him to no end.

A name seemed to whisper in his mind when he saw her, an impossible name that couldn't be right. Because Rose was just someone from his dreams, a made up character like the Doctor. This girl just coincidentally resembled her. Honestly, it was ridiculous that he was even thinking about it.

Quickly, John tried to focus his thoughts on something more down-to-earth. Like Nurse Redfern. She was a very beautiful woman. And John liked her very much. Now, he wouldn't go so far as to say that he loved her, and he wasn't even sure if those were the _type _of feelings he had for her. But he did care for her, and enjoyed spending time with her very much.

John rubbed his eyes, emitting a low groan. He felt so damn conflicted! He cared for the woman, yes, and he wanted to love her, but for some reason, especially now that Jackie suddenly showed up, a spitting image of the girl of his dreams, he felt like he was betraying Rose. Which was especially strange because, according to his dreams, the Doctor and Rose didn't have that sort of relationship. They were incredibly close, and he could feel the Doctor's extreme love for the girl. But he'd never had the courage to act on those feelings.

So why should it bother him so much?

Bad Wolf was clever. Oh yes, she was brilliant, in fact. She knew what she was doing, even if her primary consciousness wasn't aware of it. She knew everything that she had to do to bring forth the chain reaction of events she needed to reunite the Doctor and his Rose.

She knew what she needed to make happen for the right questions to be asked, to keep Rose at the school where she would be very well taken care of. And she knew that Rose would avoid the human Doctor like the plague, too terrified by his resemblance to her love, while her presence remained just enough for the man to be distracted. This would, of course, effectively prevent him for really falling for the Matron, whom he'd already grown affectionate towards.

There would be complications with that, of course, but she knew that Martha would be of great assistance in distracting John Smith from the nurse's advances. The girl was fond of the Doctor as well, though her feelings were a mere flicker of light compared to the sun of love that Rose felt for him. She would grow wary and envious, especially after discovering Rose's identity, and take the necessary precautions to maintain the required distance.

Bad Wolf knew what she was doing. She knew everything that would happen. And so much death and pain would come from what was about to happen. But there would also be joy and life, and the outcome would be far greater than if Rose had remained in the parallel universe.

Bad Wolf was clever, and she knew what the Family was planning.

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><p>I'm sorry this took so long. I've been very distracted as of late, but things should be going back to normal soon. I'm so excited to be writing this and I can't wait to see how you guys respond to all of this! Please review!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The disclaimage of this disclaimer is beyond comprehension.**

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><p><em>"Can you hear it?" he asked, turning to her. He watch in interest as her face scrunched in concentration. She cocked her head to the side, her brows crushed together. Her beautiful, perfectly arched brows.<em>

_"Is that... music?" she asked, her full perfect lips forming around the words slowly. The Doctor admired them silently for a moment before pushing the thoughts from his head. He grinned and nodded. "Oh my God. Is that- is that Elvis singin'?" Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her smile took his breath away. Thank goodness for respiratory bypass system._

_"I promised you Elvis, and here we are. It's a beautiful October night. There are no face-stealing aliens about. And just through those doors, he's preforming live in front of one hundred and fifty-two people."_

_Her grin widened, a hint of pink tongue poking through her teeth. "About to be one hundred and fifty-four," she said with a giggle. _

_"Join me, Rose Tyler?" He held out a hand, wiggling his fingers. Rose laughed.  
><em>

_"Gladly." She took his hand, their fingers lacing together comfortably, fitting like a puzzle. Their hands seemed to fit so perfectly before, in his last body, but now he realized that that had been nothing compared to now. These hands were  
><em>made _to hold hers. Everything about his body, it seemed, was made perfect for her. Especially his new 'pretty boy' look. Rose did always have an eye for pretty boys..._

_"Off we go, then. Allons-y!" _

John sighed, sitting up in his bed. He stared at the wall for a long moment, deep in thought, before getting up with a groan. The cold air that struck him once the covers were gone had him shivering after the sweat from his sleep. He couldn't quite remember his dream completely, but he knew that _she _was there, the mysterious Rose.

A knock on the door roused him from his thoughts, and he quickly pulled his dressing gown over his pajamas. Martha strode in, a tray held against her hip.

"Good morning, Mr. Smith," she greeted warmly. John nodded, giving her a tight lipped smile.

"Good morning, Martha. And what's on the menu today?" he asked, taking a seat at his desk. Martha brought the tray over and set it down in front of him.

"Same as yesterday, I'm afraid. The cook needs to take a trip into the market for more ingredients. Can't say Mr. Watson will be too happy."

John nodded understandingly, scratching his chin. "No, I daresay he won't be. Tell me, Martha, how is Miss Tyler?"

Martha began pouring a cup of tea for him as she answered. "She is well. Her injury seems to be healing at a rather normal pace now." She handed him his cup carefully. "She's not been sleeping very well, though," she added with a frown.

"I can't imagine she would be. Not remembering anything about yourself or who you are... It could drive anyone mad," John sighed.

Martha nodded, but something in her expression made John suspicious there was more she wanted to say. However, she excused herself and quickly left the room, choosing not to press the matter. John shrugged it off and was left to eat in silence, his thoughts drifting slowly back to his dreams.

Rose sighed heavily, punching the pillow under her head, trying to get comfortable. She hardly slept a wink the night before due to the discomfort provided by the lumpy 20th century mattress. It was hell. She had grown far too used to her expensive, beautifully comfortable bed at the Tyler mansion (from the few nights that she actually did sleep), and now anything less seemed to just be impossible to sleep on.

Of course, she knew if she were on her bed in the TARDIS, she'd be sleeping wonderfully. That bed was perfect, and the humming and singing of the old machine always managed to lull her to sleep without fail. There had only ever been one time that she'd found herself struggling, due to terrible nightmares that plagued her after they left the planet orbiting the black whole.

And rather than the expected dreams of dying, or being attacked by Satan or anything of the sort, all she saw when she closed her eyes was the Doctor, alone. It terrified her, and it made her so very sad for him. She never wanted to leave him, never wanted him to be alone. The dream was so crippling that it wasn't until she had the Doctor holding her, calming her violent sobbing that she realized she was crying at all. That night, she just held onto him for dear life, crying silently into his shirt until she fell asleep. He was gone when she woke up, and they never spoke about it again, but the nightmares never returned after that. Just the terrifying thoughts that haunted her when she was alone.

She sighed, knowing she wasn't likely to get any sleep any time soon, and threw the covers away, sitting upright. Sunlight peeked through the curtains on the windows, lighting up the small room. She stood, shivering at the feel of the cold wood beneath her bare feet, and walked to the window. She yanked open the curtains and smiled at the view.

The school was beautiful and old, sitting on a high hill overlooking fields of green grass and crops. The tiny village to the North was adorable, in Rose's eyes, and something she'd definitely have to check out in her time there.

She froze, a wave of fear once again washing over her. How was she going to get back? In the future, though it seemed distant to anyone else, her entire planet was in danger, and it was her job to save it. But now she was stuck here, with no clue how she got there or how to get back.

Tears rose to her eyes as the realization struck her. She didn't know what she'd do if she ended up stuck there forever. Ever since her separation from the Doctor, she'd been trying with everything she had to find a way back to him. And now she was stuck in 1913, in the middle of one of the worst wars in history.

She bit her lip, wishing more than ever that the Doctor were with her. She would at least like to be stuck with him. But instead all she had was this strange man that looked just like him, and yet couldn't be more different. She could see just from observing him for a few seconds that he was far too clumsy, far too human, far too sane, and far too John Smith. Never mind that it was the common surname the Doctor often used.

Another obvious sign was that he was far too unexcited to see her. Her Doctor would have swept her up in his arms and held her close, laughing with joy at seeing her again, despite the seemingly impossible circumstances.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, she moved away from the window and decided to inspect the bookshelf. It was a rather decent sized collection of books, most of them ones she'd never heard of, no surprise there. Her breath caught however when her eyes fell on a particular, impossible book. After meeting Charlotte Bronte herself with the Doctor in 1845, Rose had instantly taken to reading her works. Her particular favorite was the book Jane Eyre, and so she'd been more than disappointed to find out that in the alternate universe, it had never been published. So something was definitely wrong (or possibly very very right) if the book was sitting there on the shelf, right in front of her.

With a shaking hand, Rose reached out and pulled the book from the shelf, inspecting the cover. She stared at it long and hard, searching for any hint or sign that it wasn't real. She half expected the title to change to something else at any moment. When nothing happened, she took a deep breath through her nose and began walking towards the window seat. Holding the book like a life-line, she sat down and opened it. The feel of the paper was so strange compared to the books she was used to, and somehow it made it seem even more magical. Still struggling to believe that what she was seeing was real, Rose began to read. As she read, she forced herself to ignore the implications of what the book's existence meant, and enjoy herself.

She was reading for nearly an hour when a knock on the door interrupted her. The door opened, and Martha walked in, carrying a heavy-looking tray.

"Good morning, Miss Tyler," she greeted brightly, setting the tray on a small table by the bed. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Rose smiled. She closed the book with her finger between the pages to hold her place. "Sore, and the would itches a bit now, but otherwise I'm feeling much better." She stood, walking towards her.

"Any luck with you memory?" Rose shook her head, beginning to help Martha with setting up the food. Martha blinked in surprise. "Please, Miss, you don't have to do that."

"Let me help," Rose insisted kindly. "I'd like to do somethin'. I don't think I'm one for bein' cooped up in a single room."

Martha grinned. "Thank you." She finished and straightened. "I can understand how you feel. My mum, she'd always been so protective of me and my sister, Tish. Still is, really. She's always trying to keep me in one place. But I love to travel."

Rose silently agreed. "Where do you travel?" she asked curiously, lifting the cup of tea to her lips. She blew on it gently before taking a sip. The scalding liquid felt like a wave of relief running down her throat. What she wouldn't do for a cup of her mum's tea...

Martha shrugged. "Anywhere. Imagine, Jackie, if you could go anywhere in the world, the universe." She grinned. "Out to the very stars."

Rose laughed, smiling at the fond memories. "If only I could..." she sighed. She smiled cheekily at Martha. "Is that where you go? You go out to the stars and planets, see whole other worlds, then?"

"Do you believe there are other planets, other worlds out there?" was Martha's quick retort. Rose blinked in surprise at the question.

"I- I don't know. I think so. I mean, why not? It'd be amazin' if there are. The universe is much bigger than just us, at least. I know that much." Oh, yes, it certainly was. Much, much bigger.

Martha smiled and nodded. "My thoughts exactly. Even if you don't have your memory, you seem to be very wise, Miss Tyler." Rose shook her head.

"No. I think someone probably has said that to me before." Well, at least it was true. The Doctor loved to remind her how amazingly _huge _the universe was, and how tiny they really were.

There was another knock on the door, and they both looked over in surprise to see Mr. Smith standing in the doorway, looking sheepish. Rose felt her heart jump into her throat at the sight of him, and took a step back. If Martha noticed, she didn't show it.

Mr. Smith cleared his throat. "Good morning. I just wanted to see how you were doing after last night," he greeted. Rose forced down a sob as he spoke. It frightened her how this man could be so like him, and yet so completely different.

"I'm doing quite well, thanks. You're Mr. Smith, right?" She nearly flinched at how forced the polite tone of her voice sounded. She prayed they didn't notice it.

Mr. Smith smiled and nodded, walking closer with his hand outstretched.

"Yes, John Smith. I'm the history professor here." John Smith, the overly common alias the Doctor was so fond of.

Rose glanced down at his hand, almost hesitantly, before taking it and shaking was warm, and slightly sweaty, so unlike the Doctor's cool hands, and yet still seemed to fit hers near perfectly. She shook it briefly before pulling away.

She gave a cordial smile. "It's nice to properly meet you. I never got to thank you for last night. I don't remember much, but I was told you helped Martha bring me to the Matron." Mr. Smith nodded, his smile widening a bit.

"Yes, yes, that was me. You gave us all quite a fright, I think. There seemed to be an impossible amount of blood." He grimaced at the memory. Rose fought to keep her breathing under control and level, terrified that he might catch on to her discomfort and question her on it.

"Well, thank you. I probably would be dead if it weren't for you." Mr. Smith and Martha exchanged a glance, both thinking similar thoughts. Neither commented, however.

"Well, are you having any luck with your memory at all?" Mr. Smith asked after a moment, just before the silence could grow awkward. Rose shook her head, giving a sad smile.

"No, but it seems I'm rather fond of 'Jane Eyre'," she said, holding up the book that she still held. Mr. Smith grinned.

"You read, then? Well- I mean, obviously you do. It's a great book, fantastic really. It's always been a personal favorite of mine. I often wonder what it would be like to meet the author herself. She seems like she was a brilliant woman." He mentally chided himself for rambling, but kept a smile plastered on his face.

Rose allowed a soft, somewhat forced giggle, her unease growing. He was rambling, just like the Doctor always had. And at that moment all she wanted was to throw her arms around him and sob into his chest, yet at the same time kick him out of the room, screaming. This man was not her Doctor. Her Doctor would remember her. This man was something else entirely. Something so completely right, and yet so impossibly wrong.

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><p>Sorry if anything I've said regarding the book is incorrect, as I don't know much about it or Charlotte Bronte. However, it is definitely a book I intend to read.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this, now would I?**

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><p>John had left quickly afterward, rushing to get to the class that he'd realized he was nearly running late for. Fortunately, he'd arrived just in time and proceeded smoothly through the rest of his morning. He threw himself into his work, successfully managing to distract himself from thoughts about a certain Miss Tyler.<p>

Rose, however, wasn't so lucky. After John left, Martha excused herself as well, having other duties to attend to. This left Rose all alone in her room for a good amount of time with nothing but Charlotte Bronte and a book that shouldn't exist to busy her thoughts.

She was certain that Jane Eyre was a book never published in the new universe she was trapped it. And the implications of what that meant left Rose feeling both thrilled and terrified. She almost didn't want to accept it out of fear that she'd wake up to find it was only a dream.

And because she was afraid to consider what that might mean about John Smith.

Martha entered the Matron's office after a brief knock on the door. Inside, the nurse was tending to a student with a sore throat. Martha smiled politely, setting her lunch tray on her desk.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Ah, Martha, I was just about to send for you," the Matron said, instructing the boy to lay down and rest.

"Is there something you need?" Nurse Redfern opened a drawer and pulled out a key on a long chain.

"I found this under the bed this morning. This is yours, isn't it?" she asked, handing it to Martha. Martha frowned, taking it. It was clearly a TARDIS key, but not her own. She knew for a fact that hers was resting securely in her pocket, where she'd placed it after visiting the TARDIS earlier that morning. Which could only mean that it had belonged to Jackie.

"Right, yes. I must have dropped it last night." She smiled. "Thank you very much. I'd be lost without it."

"It's a rather odd key, though. Where did you get it?" the Matron wondered, regarding the key with a curious expression. Martha blanched.

"It was a gift. From my father," she quickly lied. "It doesn't fit anything. He made it for me." Nurse Redfern nodded, skeptic but no where near caring enough to pursue it.

"Good, good. That'll be all, Martha." With a curt nod, Martha hurried out of the room, the key clenched tightly in her fist.

It wasn't until a few hours later that Martha was able to take some time to herself to take a better look at the key. She stood against a wall in her room, holding the key up between her two fingers by the chain. It was definitely a TARDIS key, she noted, as it swung back and forth like a pendulum. A closer examination, however, revealed that it was older than her own, possibly a few years, with a few scratches on its surface. And a small rose in black sharpie had been drawn in the center, almost too worn to notice.

So, whoever Jackie was, she'd clearly traveled with the Doctor before. And she'd been incredibly close with him, judging by her behavior. Which meant that she hadn't really lost her memory. And of course, judging by the small rose on the key, and they girl's expression when looking at John Smith, Martha could only assume that she must be the Rose the Doctor was so hung up on.

A strange feeling of envy and anger settled over Martha. Whatever had happened to Rose, she clearly wasn't dead like she'd previously assumed. Which could only mean that for whatever reason, she left the Doctor, and left him heartbroken. Even an idiot could see how in love with her he was, even now.

Martha sighed, placing the key in her pocket beside her own, and headed for the door. Whatever the case was, she was going to have a long talk with Rose, and she wouldn't accept anything less than a full explanation.

Unfortunately, her duties for the rest of the day kept her far too occupied. By the time she was finished working, she was far too exhausted to bother, and decided to put off talking with Rose. Perhaps in the morning when she was bringing her food would be better anyways, when they were both well rested and alert.

Of course, Martha never did have the best of luck, and was dismayed to find the next morning that another maid had already brought the amnesiac her breakfast before her. And once again, she spent the rest of the day running back and forth without a moment to her self. For the second night in a row, Martha heaved herself onto her bed, vowing to see Rose the next morning.

When Rose woke up on November 9th, she was surprised to find Martha already in her room, pulling open the curtains to let in the bright, evil sunlight. She groaned, rolling over, and pulled the blanket over her head. She'd been plagued by terrible nightmares the night before, and felt more exhausted now than she'd been at night before. Not of course, that she'd done much at all during the day to wear her out. Other than a single walk around campus in the early morning, she'd spent the entire day in her room reading. And frankly, she hated it.

To go from constant training and missions every day to being trapped in a single room in a matter of a few hours was very unsettling for her, and something that, even before the Doctor, would have frustrated her.

"Good morning," Martha greeted warmly, far too pleasant than should be legal. Rose sighed and sat up, forcing a smile.

"Mornin'." She stretched, yawning. "What time is it?"

"Half past seven," Martha replied, beginning to set up her tea. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Rose shrugged, placing a light hand over her bandaged side."No change, really. I'm dyin' to get out, though. I don't like bein' cooped up like this." Martha smiled.

"I know what you mean." She brought the tea over to her and carefully handed it over. Rose took it and took a careful sip.

"How about you?" Rose asked politely. Martha shrugged.

"I've got about a month left here, and then I'll finally be gone. Can't say I'll miss this place too much. You and Mr. Smith are the only ones that even treat me like I'm human," she sighed. Rose shook her head.

"I just don't understand people sometimes," she muttered. Martha laughed.

"I have a question," she said suddenly. Rose raised a brow, nodding for her to go on. Martha bit her lip before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a familiar long chain with a silver key hanging from the end. "Nurse Redfern found this under the bed in her office."

Rose's eyes widened, watching the key as it swung back and forth.

"That's... That's mine," she murmured, reaching out for it. To her surprise, Martha pulled it away from her reach. Rose's eyes snapped up to meet hers in surprise.

"You're Rose, aren't you?" Martha spoke the words slowly, her lips forming around the name with what almost looked like a scowl.

"I'm sorry?"

"You're Rose. Right? He told me about you, mentioned you a few times, but I thought- With the way he talked about you, I thought you were dead." Rose gaped at her, eyes wide in disbelief.

"You- you know the Doctor," she stated. She shook her head, setting the teacup on the table by her bed. "He actually talked about me?" She surprised herself with how heartbroken she sounded.

Martha scoffed. "He never stops. 'Rose would know what to say'. 'I took Rose here, once'. 'You aren't replacing her'. You really did a number on the poor guy," she huffed, folding her arms over her chest. Rose blanched.

"Looks like we've both had it bad, then," she muttered. "He- is he... John Smith is the Doctor, then?"

Martha nodded. "He had to make himself human for a while, completely change his memories. We're hiding right now, but in a month we'll be able to take off again." She watched Rose carefully, gauging her reaction. Rose placed a hand over her mouth, letting out a strange mix between a laugh and a sob.

"I don't believe it. I'm really- I'm back. Oh my God, I'm back!" Fat, salty tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm back!" Martha blinked in surprise, touching her arm gently.

"What happened? What are you doing here?" she asked. She wanted to be angry, or at least a bit less kind, but watching as her body shook with sobs, she couldn't bring herself to be upset.

"I-I was-" she cleared her throat, trying to calm herself. "I was trapped in another universe. T-there was a battle, and I nearly died, but I was saved. I was trapped, though, and he said there was no way to get back." Rose gave a short laugh. "That man needs a new definition for impossible."

Martha gave a short laugh in agreement. "What happened to you? Why did you leave him?" She jumped back in surprise when Rose glared up at her fiercely, a deep anger in her eyes that reminded her so strongly of the Doctor.

_ "Leave him?"_ she hissed. "I didn't leave him! I-" She stopped, leaning back a bit. She took a deep breath. "S-sorry. I just... I didn't leave him. We were separated. I nearly died, but my dad saved me. As a result, I was stuck in this... parallel world. He- he said it was impossible to get back, that the universes would collapse..."

Martha forced back a gasp. Clearly, she couldn't have been more wrong about that had happened. She hadn't just left him, she wasn't just lost. They were torn apart. And clearly, the Doctor wasn't the only one so damaged by it.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I didn't know." And suddenly she felt so incredibly guilty about her feelings towards the Doctor. It was obvious from the start how much he loved Rose, and she could see now how much she loved him back. Once the Doctor returned to his normal self, no doubt they'd be facing quite the emotional reunion.

Rose gave a shaky sigh, forcing down a sob. "It's alright... I just- I can't believe I'm back. Before the Doctor, I was nothin', and when I met him my life came to mean so much more. Losing him was like losing part of myself. And now I'm back. You've seen what he's like, Martha. You understand."

Martha nodded, smiling warmly. "I know exactly what you mean. Though I reckon he was a he was a lot less dark with you around. The Doctor... I met him, probably not too long after he lost you. And like I said, it's done a number on him. He can smile and dance around and act like everything is fine, and for a minute he can really fool you. But then you look again, and you can see how much it's really hurting. He's told me about his people, the Time War, and all that he's lost. But I have no doubt that right now, a fair bit of his pain is because he's lost you."

Rose looked down at her lap for a moment, more tears sliding down her cheeks, but then looked back up, a wide smile on her face. "I'm back now, though. I don't know how I'm back, but I am. Everythin' will be alright."

Martha grinned, nodding. "I'm sure you're right." What she didn't say, however, resounded loudly in her mind like church bells on a Sunday afternoon.

_For you, maybe..._


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you guys so much for your support so far! I really wanna know exactly what you think of this, though. I need some critique. Please gimmie more you guys! I love you!

**Disclaimer: Ha, screw disclaimers. I own all this shit.**

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><p>John struggled with the books in his arms, trying to balance the large stack as he made his way out of the library, when he noticed the Matron heading straight for him.<p>

"Good morning Mr. Smith-"

"Oh!" he cried suddenly as he fumbled and the top book slid to the floor. He glared down at it as if it had intentionally leaped from his arms. "There we go." He stuck out his foot and attempted to maneuver it closer to him to reach it.

"Let me help," the Matron offered.

"No, nope, I've got it," John insisted, dragging it closer. "No, uhm..." He stared down at the book again, realizing his predicament. He mumbled incoherently to himself, looking around before carefully handing over his stack of books to the woman beside him. He bent down and retrieved the book, tucking it under his arm before standing and flashing the Matron a polite smile.

"So, uhm, how is Miss Tyler?" he asked, genuinely curious. Despite how ridiculous he told himself he was being, he still found his thoughts frequently wandering to her, comparing her to the girl that haunted his dreams. And of course, that led to him dreaming of the girl even more often, and he even caught himself sketching her in his journal when he was lost in thought.

"Oh, she's recovering nicely. No change in her memory, I'm afraid, but it's only been a few day. All we can do is wait," the Matron answered. "And I appear to be holding your books," she noted, shifting the heavy books in her arms.

He blinked at her, confused for a moment, before seeming to realize. "Yes, you are! Sorry, sorry!" He reached out and attempted to take them from her arms, which proved to be quite the challenge.

"Why don't I take half?" the Matron offered. John smiled.

"Oh, brilliant idea. Brilliant," he agreed, taking the top half of the stack. "The perfect... division of labor."

"We make quite a team," she input.

"Don't we just."

_"-The old team."_

_"Hope and glory! Mutt and Jeff! Shiver and shake!"_

_"Which one's shiver?"_

_"Oh, I'm shake!"_

John shook his head, blinking the voices away. He gave a half smile.

"So, these books. Are they being taken in any direction?" the Matron wondered.

"Yes. Uhm..." He paused to think about it and whirled around. "This way." He stepped to the side and let her walk in front of him. As they walked, he once again pursued the topic of their new guest. "So, have you any theories about Miss Tyler, then, Matron?"

To his dismay, she chose to ignore his question. "Truth be told, when it's just you and me, I'd much rather be called Nurse Redfern. Matron sounds, rather well... Matron-y."

John swallowed, seeing where this was going. "Ah, yes, well, I suppose it does." Did he even want it to go where it was going? He supposed under different circumstances, he might have. But it felt like something was holding him back.

"Well, we've known each other for all of two months..." she continued as they neared the stairs. "You could even say Joan."

"Joan?" John choked out.

"That's my name," she explained, as if it wasn't obvious.

"Well obviously."

"And it's John?" John hesitated a moment.

"Uhm, yes, yes it is," he finally answered. They stopped in front of a bulletin board.

"Have you seen this, John?" the Matron asked, gesturing to a particular sign on it. "The annual dance at the village hall tomorrow. It's nothing formal, but rather fun. Do you think you'll go?" She gazed up at him, almost hopefully. He looked from the sign to her, mouth hanging open.

"Oh, I-I hadn't thought about it," he confessed.

"It's been ages since I've been to a dance. Only no one's asked me." She smiled at him and laughed as if she'd told some private joke. Even for someone as oblivious as him, John could see what she was hinting at.

"Well," he began. "I should imagine you'd be- uhm, I mean- I- I never thought you'd be one for that. I mean, there's no reason that you shouldn't be-" He continued to ramble, backing away slowly. He found himself actually a tad bit frightened by her advanced, only because of how forward she was being just as he'd come to realize he didn't particularly want that with her. It felt wrong, like he was betraying someone. Like he was betraying Rose. But, that was absurd. Rose was just a character, a story. Why should he feel that way over such a thing?

"The stairs," the Matron cut in. John took another step back.

"What-what about them?"

"They're right behind you," she warned, but a second to late, as he took a final step back onto empty space and tumbled down the stairs. Books and papers flew from his arms and scattered around.

Several minutes later, he sat in a chair in his study, groaning in pain as the Matron searched his head for any permanent damage.

"Oh stop it," she scolded him kindly. "I've had boys who have put up less fuss than this."

"But it hurts," John whined, grimacing. He winced as she shifted his hair on his scalp, searching.

"Is he alright?" cried Martha suddenly, bursting into the room. The Matron lowered her hands, regarding Martha distastefully.

"It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking," she warned Martha.

"Sorry," Martha all but spat, striding backwards to the door. "Right, yeah." She knocked on it sarcastically, and rushed back towards them. "But is he alright? They said you fell down the stairs, sir."

John looked down. "Oh, it was just a tumble, that's all," he mumbled, a bit disturbed by how familiar she was being.

"Have you checked for concussion?" Martha asked the Matron, clearly doubting the woman's capabilities as a nurse.

"I have," the Matron informed her. "And I daresay I know an awful lot more about it than you." She gave the housemaid a pointed look. Martha seemed to remember her place suddenly and nodded, swallowing.

"Sorry... I'll just... Tidy your things." She gestured to the accumulating mess on his desk that had only grown worse since adding on all of the fallen books and papers.

"I was just telling the Matron-" he still did not want to call her Nurse Redfern or Joan- "Uhm... About my dreams. They are, quite remarkable tales," he explained, looking up at the woman. He wasn't quite sure _why_ he was telling her. Perhaps he was just searching for a second opinion, maybe some answers about his feelings for the mystical Rose. "I keep imagining that I'm someone else, and that I'm hiding."

"Hiding?" the Matron echoed, clearly interested. "In what way?"

"Uhm... Once every night..." He adjusted his coat awkwardly, worried about how mad he was probably about to sound. He ran his tongue over his teeth in anticipation. "I dream, quite often, that I have _two hearts_."

"Well I can be the judge of that," the Matron said, pulling her stethoscope from her bag. "Let's find out." John tensed, seeing what she was about to do, and readied himself. She brought the tool to his chest and placed it against one side, her hand sliding under his coat (which made his shift uncomfortably a bit), listened for a moment, and then moved it to the other. "I can confirm the diagnosis. Just one heart. Singular."

John forced a smile, grunting as if he expected nothing else. And yet, he realized that for a very brief moment, he had been waiting, almost hopefully, for her to find that second heartbeat.

"I have uhm... I have written down... Some of these dreams," he murmured as she turned away to place the stethoscope back into her bag. A sense of what he could only identify as pride filled him for a moment, and he decided then that even if he was uncomfortable with the Matron's advances, he still wanted to show off and impress her just a bit. If her reaction so far was anything to go by, she didn't find him mad. It should be safe to show him the journal. "In the form of fiction. Uhm... Not that it'd be of any interest..."

"I'd be very interested," the Matron insisted, smiling at him. He paused, wondering how much he should say.

"Well..." He stood and walked over to his desk, pulling the journal from under a pile of papers. "I haven't really... Shown it to anyone before." He opened it and handed it to her.

"_'Journal of Impossible Things'_," she read aloud. She flipped through the first few pages, scanning the words and pictures thoughtfully. John made sure to hover close by, reading over her shoulder in case she came upon anything too embarrassing. "Look at these creatures... Such creation... It's beautiful..." She turned another page, landing on one of his favorite sketches of Rose, her long hair lifted around her like a halo, her dark-lined eyes seemed to glow with an unearthly light, even in the black-and-white image. "Quite the eye for pretty girls."

"Oh, she's just uhm... An invention. This character, Rose, I call her, Rose. I keep seeing her everywhere. Sometimes she looks like just an ordinary young girl, and other times she looks like that, glowing and beautiful like... like some sort of goddess. She seems to disappear after a while, though. Like she's lost..." He frowned, feeling the familiar ache in his chest he always got when he thought of that particular aspect of his dreams.

"She looks very familiar," the Matron mused, turning the page to rest her eyes on another drawing. In this one, she looked far more normal, and yet so utterly heartbroken, tears streaming down her cheeks, her hair being tousled by the wind. It was an expression that sometimes physically hurt for him to look at, and yet he couldn't help but draw it.

"Yes, I sometimes think so myself, but I can't place exactly where I've seen her," John lied. "She's completely fiction, of course. Just a story..." The Matron gave him a smile, turning the pages to skim over a few more pictures of her before finally finding more about other things. "Oh, that's the box. The blue box. It's always, there," he said, pointing at the small sketch in the corner of one page. "Uhm, like a-a magic carpet, it's my little box that transports me to far away places." He gave another prideful smile.

The Doctor loved his blue box, as if were a leaving breathing person.

"Like a doorway," the Matron supplied. John hummed in agreement.

"Sometimes I think... How magical life would be if stories like this were true..." _Especially Rose,_ he added silently to himself.

"If only..."

John gave a weary sigh. "Just a dream," he mumbled. They both looked at each other and smiled warmly.

"Do you mind if I borrow this?" the Matron asked. "I'd certainly love to take the time and read it all of the way though." John opened his mouth and then closed it, trying to decide. There were more things in the journal, things recently added, that he wasn't sure he wanted her to see. Things about Rose, musings about her similarities with Jackie that he'd kept hidden to himself. He really didn't think it'd be wise to let anyone else see that.

"Oh, well," he stammered. "It's really not that great of a read. "And I've found myself reluctant to- to part with it for too long, should I get the urge to add more to it. It's become an outlet of sorts for- for my creativity. I can't imagine what I'd do without it." A look of clear disappointment flashed across the Matron's face, and she set the book down.

"Yes, well, of course. Let me know if you ever finish it, though. I'd love to see more," she told him, forcing a smile. "I'd best be on my way, though. I have more patients to tend to. You know how boys can be, always roughing about." John nodded wordlessly and let her leave, watching her go without the slightest twinge of regret. He liked the Matron, he did, and for a moment he thought he could probably let himself start to fall for her. But it just didn't feel right, all of a sudden, and he didn't want to lead her on. There was no reason to hurt her unnecessarily.

Rose gazed glumly out of the window, watching the stars shine in the night sky. There was a time when she used to travel those stars, she recalled. She used to be so free and she could run and wander and do anything she wanted. And now she was stuck, cooped up alone in the stupid room with no one to even talk to her or keep her company. She appreciated the headmaster's kindness and hospitality, but really, she'd had far better service in the prison on Foroxi Gyor, where the guards tortured their prisoners for answers by mercilessly tickling them.

With a sigh, Rose stood and pulled herself away from the window. _Just a few more weeks_, she told herself, _and then you'll be back with the Doctor. You can go traveling again, and you'll be happy. Just suck it up. A few more weeks trapped in here will be more than worth it._

Of course she knew that. But then again, she was Rose Tyler. She was the Doctor's companion. And what did the Doctor's companions always do best, Rose particularly? They always wandered off.

And really, her injury didn't even hurt anymore, and she needed to stretch her legs in a space larger than just the small room. She needed some fresh air as well.

With a determined nod of her head, Rose walked to the door and peered outside. The Matron had left earlier to the pub, leaving Rose alone and unmonitered. Still, in case she wasn't back by the time the Matron returned, Rose set up the pillows on her bed to look like a body, feeling very much like a child in all of the movies back home. She smirked, imagining the Doctor's reaction to such a cheap, overused trick.

_Pillows, Rose? Really? How is that going to fool anyone? That only works in movies! Granted, it always does fool the humans, but perhaps that's just you lot. Surperior Time Lord biology. I can notice all the little things you can't that are clear signs that there is nothing living under those covers!_

With a snigger, Rose snuck out of the room and found her way outside. As she expected, it was cold, enough that she wished she'd had a jacket or coat to wear. Still, it was nothing too bad, and certainly nothing worse than what she'd been through before, and settled for rubbing her arms for friction to keep herself warm.

She beamed up at the sky, loving the feel of the soft breeze lightly grazing her skin. Something in the distance, then, caught her eye. Up high in the stars, for just a brief moment, a green light sparked before vanishing into darkness. Rose tensed, waiting and watching raptly, hoping to see it again. And then suddenly there was a bright green light, beaming down onto the earth, somewhere in the distance, its destination shrouded by trees.

This light lasted only for a few seconds, but just long enough for Rose's breath to catch in wonder and amazement, and a familiar sense of fear. And the light appeared for a third time, shining at the ground, moving this time, like a search light. The instant it vanished again, Rose seemed to find herself and began doing what Rose Tyler truly did best.

She ran.


	7. Chapter 7

I just... need a moment to cry. Hold on... Sorry... I got so much of this chapter done earlier, and then forgot to save it... And I sobbed like a baby...

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. I just dream every night of the TARDIS crashing into the backyard and taking me away forever. **

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><p>Rose stopped in her tracks suddenly as she felt a pressure tug at her mind. Something urged her to change direction, something that she couldn't quite identify, but trusted more than anything. She had an awful feeling about continuing forward. So with a last glance in the direction she'd been going, she turned left and ran. She ran and ran through the sparse trees until she reached a small shed. She stopped outside, panting heavily, and stared at it with wide eyes.<p>

Never one to deny her curiosity, Rose quietly opened the door and slipped inside. What she found in there had her leaning against the door for support as she cried and laughed at the same time. Standing tall and proud was the TARDIS. She hardly hesitated a moment to pull out her key before unlocking the door and running inside. The console room was how she always remembered, and the walls seemed to hum happily a her presence.

She grinned as she saw the familiar discarded coat the Doctor always wore, hung carelessly over one of the coral structures, and picked it up, bringing it to her nose. Rose inhaled deeply, soaking in the scent that could only be described as the Doctor. More tears sprang into her eyes.

"Hello, girl," she choked, clutching the jacket tight to her chest like a lifeline. "I'm home."

"Is this thing working?" She nearly cried out at the voice, and ran to the other side of the console where the monitor was. On the screen was the Doctor, looking very apprehensive. "Martha, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One: Don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like." Rose scoffed. Still insulting humans, then. "Two: don't worry about the TARDIS. I'll put it on emergency power so that they can't detect it. Just let it hide away. Four- No, three: no getting involved in big historical events.

"Four: You. Don't let me abandon you." For half of a second, he seemed to grow very somber, but then blinked and returned to life. "And five! Very important. Five: don't let me eat pears. I _hate _pears. John Smith is a character I made up but I won't know that. I'll think I am him and he might do something stupid like eat a pear. In three months, I don't want to wake up from being human and taste that." Rose laughed and watched the rest of the clip, a few tears escaping now and then. It was him, really him. She could see him, hear his voice, smell him on his jacket. It was more than she thought possible just a few days ago.

Still, it wasn't nearly enough. She wanted to hold him, to feel his arms wrap around her, to hear his wonderful laugh that had been oddly missing from the video, to see his familiar excited grin that he reserved just for her. She needed to hear him say her name in that voice, like he always said it. Like he cherished every chance to say it and loved the feeling of it rolling off of his tongue.

With a sigh, Rose pulled away from the console, setting the coat down, and began walking down the hall towards where she hoped her room still was. She honestly had no clue how long it had been for him. Not long enough for him to forget her, evidently. Not long enough for him to regenerate. How many companions has he had since she was trapped? Did he still have feelings for her? Even though he'd never said the words, she'd always known how he felt. They always knew, but had never dared cross their carefully placed boundaries to say it. But were they strong enough on his part to still be there, even now? She wasn't sure.

When she found the familiar white door with the red rose painted on its front, she grinned and pushed it open. Everything was exactly as she left it, from what she could see. Her pajamas from the night before were strewn carelessly on the floor, her make up was laid out strategically along her vanity, and her bed was rumpled and unmade as if it had been that very night that she'd slept in it. Rose threw herself onto her bed and laughed, loving the feel of the comforting sheets beneath her, and the sound of the TARDIS humming lovingly around her.

"I'm home," she repeated. She buried her face into her pillow, rolling over. She frowned, then, when she felt something hard and lumpy pressing through the pillow and into her face. Rose sat up and lifted the pillow to reveal a discarded tie beneath it. She lifted it tenderly, examining it as if it might fall to dust if she held it the wrong way. And then she jumped to her feet, pulling away the rest of the covers. A single red trainer fell to the ground as she moved it.

"What an idiot," she muttered with a laugh. "Sleepin' in here like some sorta lovesick teenager. When was this?" She picked up the shoe and found its twin under her bed. She set them on her desk and walked out, back towards the console room. She found the coat where she'd left it and shrugged it over her shoulders. It was cold out, and she'd been able to ignore it before while running, but now she wanted to just walk back to the school and sit in her thoughts for a while.

Giving one last stroke to the TARDIS console, she stepped away and walked outside. The jacket was very welcome around her, protecting her from the chill night air. For a moment, she considered continuing to investigate the strange lights, but again she had that feeling that she should put as much distance between her and the lights as possible. She glanced only once in that direction before continuing back towards the school.

John walked towards the school with the Matron, making idle conversation. He really couldn't recall exactly what they were talking about, and every few seconds found himself spacing out as a random thought would cross his mind. He was having one of these moments when he heard the Matron cry out.

"Miss Tyler! What on earth are you doing out here at this time of night?" John followed her gaze to see Jackie stop dead in her tracks on her own path towards the school entrance, wrapped tight in a long familiar brown coat. Where had he seen that coat before? Why did it matter?

He watched as Jackie regarded their close proximity with a distasteful expression and instinctively stepped away a bit. He certainly didn't want any misunderstandings. Something about the way she looked at him though, with a hint of sadness, and almost anger, bothered him. What reason would she have to feel that way? She hardly knew him, and had lost all of her memories.

"Sorry," she said, tearing her eyes away from him to look at the Matron. "I just really needed some air. It was gettin' awfully stuffy in that room, and I couldn't take bein' cooped up all day. I didn't wander far. I just stayed right in this area," she explained, adding the last part in attempt to console the Matron's obvious concern.

"It's freezing out here, child!" the Matron uttered, hurrying over to her. "Come, come, get inside." She looked back at John. "John, perhaps we can continue this conversation later. And maybe I can even take a look at some more of that lovely journal of yours," she called. John didn't miss the way that Jackie flinched both at the usage of the word 'child', and the Matron's farewell. But they were both gone before he could say anything.

With a sigh, John trudged back to his own room, prepared to take a long and needed rest.

_The Doctor pulled the coat over his shoulders, sliding his arms carefully through the sleeves. He always loved the coat. Janis Joplin gave it to him, after all. He leaned in front of the mirror in order to get a better look at his face. Not bad. He was younger, thin but toned, a very sexy smile, nice teeth... Oh, he loved the hair. He couldn't wait to experiment with that. It was definitely a step up form last time, when he was all ears and nose and leather. _

_He had a lot of freckles, he noticed. He wasn't ginger, though. No, of course not. But he had to say, he was pretty handsome. And a look down below showed him that he was rather well endowed. He was a pretty boy, and everything Rose liked. He was made for her.  
><em>

_With a grin, he strode out of the TARDIS and up the steps towards the flat. When he walked in, Rose was sitting at the kitchen table. She looked up at him, taking in every aspect of appearance now, appreciating it. She gave him a grin which he eagerly returned. He was an idiot for not telling her before about regeneration and probably scared a few good years off of her life, but she still accepted him, and for that he was ecstatic. He could probably sing. _

_Well, on second thought, he should probably save that for when he knows how musically talented he is in this body..._

_And then they were sitting on a field of applegrass, the coat laid out underneath them like a blanket. She was laughing at him, and her smile made his hearts swell. Oh yes, he could definitely get used to this. How could one human girl affect him so strongly? It was remarkable, really._

_He looked up at her, noting that she was staring. "What?"_

_"So different," she murmured, still smiling. _

_"New new Doctor," he replied cheekily, giving a childlike grin. She giggled, and he felt a surge of pride. Even with this new body, he could still make her laugh. _

_Suddenly, she was kissing him, and they were in an unfamiliar, white corridor. Her hands were gripping his head tightly as she pressed her lips to his eagerly. He might have kissed back if it was really Rose, but no... There was something strange about her. Certainly, kissing him out of the blue was a bit out of character, but he was rather attractive... But her voice was very strange, and there were a lot of things that weren't adding up._

_Still, it was Rose's lips pressed against his, and then there was her tongue, stroking against his, and he found himself  
><em>really _wanting to kiss back. But it was over nearly as fast as it started. She pulled away, stammering something that completely escaped him, and his eyes followed her in a daze. Even if it wasn't completely Rose, it was still her body that was holding himself against his just a moment ago. And clearly, something had influenced her to initiate that kiss, and he was more than certain his good looks were a large factor._

_Smoothing back his hair, his voice higher pitched than he expected, he gave a few words of triumph and followed after her._

_"Yep. Still got it."  
><em>

_But he blinked and they were in a white room again, but this one was more than familiar. Across the room, he could see her clinging to a lever, about to fall into the darkness that was the void._

_"Rose! Hold on!" he cried out desperately, watching in horror, wishing there was some way that he could help her. And then she was falling, screaming in terror as she fell to her death. There was a flash, and suddenly she was safe, and then she was gone. The strong winds died down, and he was left alone._

John jerked into a sitting position, panting and sweating, his lips forming her name in a silent cry. He remained there, pressing his face to his knees as he tried to calm himself. He was fine. It was just a dream. None of it was real.

When his breathing finally slowed, he made himself look around him. It was dawn, nearing the time when Martha would arrive to bring him his meal and paper. John sighed, pulling himself out of bed, and wrapped his dressing gown around him. The dreams were becoming harder to ignore, and Rose's presence in them seemed to have tripled in the last few days. Why couldn't he stop thinking about her?

When the expected knock came at the door, John sighed and forced the thoughts from his mind.

Rose managed to convince the Matron after several apologies and insistence that she was more than fine, and even got her to agree to letting her talk a walk every day around the grounds, so long as it was during daylight hours. And so it was with great relief that Rose found herself walking freely around the school, enjoying the cool, crisp air. Once again, she had the Doctor's coat wrapped tightly around her.

She was passing a field where students were practicing their shooting when she noticed John Smith was the main teacher of the class. A sick feeling settled in her gut. This man was definitely not the Doctor. He fit in to this time far too much for her liking. And when she heard him approve of the beating of one of the students, she thought she might go up to him and slap him right then and there. It wasn't fair that this man looked so much like the Doctor, and yet was so different. Swallowing her anger, Rose stuffed her hands into the Doctor's coat pockets and sauntered away. She couldn't let herself react.

And then she noticed a student following her. He was tall and lanky, with a rather odd expression, like he was smelling something absolutely delicious. He was moving behind her without even the slightest attempt at discretion. She gave no indication of noticing him, but chose to wander somewhere away from prying eyes and ear in hopes of confronting him.

She had managed to reach the woods and was a good half mile in when two other very unexpected people appeared before her, stopping her in her tracks. One was a rather large man with a bushy mustache, and the other was a young girl, about seven, dressed in pink and holding a red balloon. They both wore expressions similar to the boy behind her. Something about them had the adrenaline pumping through Rose's veins, and she tensed, prepared to run.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?" The boy behind her grabbed onto her suddenly, holding her body in a vice-like grip. She struggled, trying to get free, but stopped when she saw the little girl pull an unusual gun from her pocket. Rose's fear sky-rocketed. "Let me go!" she cried.

"You smell of time," the boy growled, burying his nose into her neck and inhaling deeply. There was nothing sexual about it, but rather it reminded Rose of an animal sniffing their prey as they prepared to devour it. "You smell far better than that Doctor..."

Rose gasped, increasing her efforts to escape. "No! Let me go!" She managed to free an arm, elbowing the boy hard in the gut. He released her, staggering back, but appeared to be in no pain.

"Oh, this one is feisty," the man said, amused. "But I can smell her fear. She knows the Doctor. We can use her."

The little girl grinned. "Mother of mine is in need of a body. She will be perfect," she said, and the man grabbed onto Rose this time, holding her far too tightly for her to escape. She tried to scream, but he slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Now, now, none of that. You can save that for later," he whispered, and dragged her into the woods. The student and young girl followed. Rose could only follow in silence, eyes wide with fear. It only took her a few moments to realize that they were heading in the very same direction as the lights from the night before.

Praying desperately that Martha would take note of her absence, and soon, Rose succumbed to their will. Fighting back would do her no good at the moment, especially when the little girl had that gun trained right on her.

The Matron walked into Jackie's room, her medical bag in hand, ready to check her progress, and was surprised to find the room empty. With a sigh, she turned back and returned to her room setting the bag down.

"I told the child to return by the hour," she muttered to herself. "I suppose I should go search for her."

She made her way downstairs and out to the grounds, wondering where to start searching. She then spotted John, on his way back inside after one of his classes, and began walking towards him. He saw her and smiled, meeting her halfway.

"Good day, Matron. And how are you feeling?" he asked her politely.

"Rather vexed, I must be honest. Miss Tyler has wandered off again. I've set out to find her, though I can't even begin to fathom where to look. She could be anywhere by now," the Matron replied, a bit bothered that he still refused to call her by her name.

"Would you like some assistance in searching for her? I have some free time, and by working together we're sure to find her faster," John offered. The Matron smiled. This would certainly give her a great opportunity to speak with him more, get to know him better.

"I would very much appreciate it. Thank you."

"Good. Splitting up will let us cover more ground. I'll search the woods. If she is willing to wander alone at night, I have no doubt she'd be keen on wandering the woods as well, despite their danger," he said, amused. The Matron's smile faltered a bit, but she nodded in agreement.

"Well, that sounds like a brilliant idea to me. If you don't find her within the hour, then we should inform the headmaster. I'm sure he'll be wanting to find her safe and sound as well." John agreed and they parted. He spotted Martha on his path and called to her.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Smith?" she asked when she reached him.

"Yes. I was wondering if you've happened to see Miss Tyler this morning? It seems she's gone missing while taking a stroll," John explained, somewhat apprehensive.

Martha frowned. "No, I haven't seen her. Do you need help looking for her?" she asked.

"The Matron is searching the grounds, but some assistance searching the woods would be most appreciated," he said somewhat distractedly, looking in the direction of the trees. "We should hurry." He didn't wait for her to respond before continuing his fast stride towards the woods. Martha followed obediently, trying to match his pace. She had to run a bit to keep up with his annoyingly long stride, but was used to it by now.

"This is the same direction that those lights fell last night," Martha noted. John frowned.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.

"Nothing, most likely. But maybe she saw them last night, too, and went in this direction to investigate..." she said nonchalantly.

"Perhaps. But she seems like an educated girl. It's likely she knew when she saw them that they were only meteorites. Nothing to search for." Martha glared at the back of his head but said nothing, letting them fall into an odd silence. A silence that was broken by a distant, but very distinct shout. Instinctively, they both broke into a run towards the voice.

They stopped after nearly three full minutes of running to catch their breath, looking around.

"I don't see anything," Martha panted. She placed a hand over her chest, hoping to calm her racing heart.

"But that was- That scream-" John gasped out, eyes frantically scanning the area. He knew that voice. That scream. It was as familiar to him as his- well, as anything, he supposed. And again images of Rose kept flashing in his mind, images that looked so similar to Jackie, if not for the clothes and the fact that Jackie looked far too sad, far too lost to be his- _the Doctor's_ Rose.

"I know, I heard it too..." Martha said, snapping him from his thoughts. She straightened and looked around. "C'mon, I think I know where she is!" She continued running, and John was hardly given a moment to even register her words before he was following after her.

* * *

><p>Sorry this took so long. I've been really sick lately, fuggin allergies and all, so it's been hard getting myself to really do anything more outside of school and my new job. Especially since now I've lost my voice. Everyone's thrilled about that, though.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I am not Moffat. I don't sit and troll all of my readers for fun. Therefore, I do not own Doctor Who. Yet.**

* * *

><p>Rose grimaced as something began to ache in the back of her mind. Wherever they were taking her, she knew it wasn't good, and she had to get away <em>fast. <em>But they had guns, and she didn't. They also outnumbered her, and the two men in the group were much stronger. Even, somehow, the teenage boy, though she had a feeling that that was thanks to whatever possessed them.

As they began to draw closer to a break in the trees leading to a large field, Rose began to desperately think of an escape. Normally, in these sort of situations, if things ever came to looking this bad, she'd have the Doctor or her team at Torchwood to rely on. But she was completely on her own, unless Martha realized she was gone. And she couldn't risk waiting for her.

That was when she heard a twig snap somewhere nearby. An insignificant sound to the Family, but one that instantly alerted Rose of another presence. Spotting a root just a few steps ahead of her, she purposely slipped her foot under it, causing her body to stumble forward and fall. It was too sudden for the aliens to anticipate, and they released her in shock. She fell forward, face-planting, and earned a few good scrapes on her face, but payed them no mind. Instead, her Torchwood training kicking in, she rolled over quickly and swung her leg out, knocking over the little girl, and swiped the gun from her hands. Before any of them could react, she was standing again and pointing the gun at them.

The little girl stood and they all watched her, amused, but still a little bit wary.

"What will you do?" the boy asked, cocking his head to the side curiously. Rose glared.

"Would ya like to find out? Cuz you just pissed me off, and trust me you are goin' to regret that," she growled dangerously.

The boy smirked. "You are a friend of the Doctor. And you are frightened. You will not kill us."

Rose barked out a single, humorless laugh. "Kill, no. Incapacitate, yeah, why not?" And with that she gave three successive shots at their feet, causing them to stumble back further and fall. She grimaced when the leaves that it struck was turned to dust. "Well then. You just had to use these sorta guns, didn't you? Still, I'll do what I hafta for survival." She forced herself not to glance at the spot where she knew their follower had stopped and was waiting.

"I don't believe that you will," the large man challenged.

"And what makes you think that? Humans are funny little creatures. We'll do anythin' to survive, even a few seconds longer, and really, if killin' ya can buy me a few good hours then to hell with morals," Rose lied. Silently, she thanked Torchwood for helping her become so much better at lying. Before, she'd never have been able to say this with a straight face.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of emotions that weren't her own rush through her. Images bombarded her mind, pictures of a horrific giant red spider, Satan in the pit, her and the Doctor holding hands as they ran...

They were gone almost instantly, though, before Rose could even begin to grasp what they meant. The Family, however, stiffened, sniffing the air. They completely disregarded her.

"The Time Lord... I can smell him..." the young girl said. Rose glanced at the corner of her eye where she saw a small blonde boy that she'd remembered seeing at school school poke his head out from behind a tree. She looked at the family, and deciding they were sufficiently distracted trying to find which direction the smell was coming from, Rose lowered the gun and ran to the boy. She grabbed onto his arm, giving him only a quick warning of 'RUN!' before taking off.

He stumbled after her, struggled to keep up with his short legs, but somehow managed to still keep his balance. They could hear the Family behind them, but then there was a rustling and the sound of running up ahead. Rose quickened her pace, causing the boy to stumble, as she recognized the figures of Martha and the Doctor (no, she corrected herself, John) racing towards them.

They met halfway, stumbling to a stop, all four panting heavily.

"Mister Latimer, Miss Tyler, what on Earth-" Mr. Smith began, but Rose cut him off.

"Martha, they're here. We need-we need the watch," she panted. She glanced behind her where she could see the Family advancing. Martha followed her gaze and grabbed Mr. Smith's arm.

"Right, let's go then!" she said, tugging. He yanked his arm away.

"Martha, what are you-" he began to protest, but Rose snagged his hand.

"We don't have time for this! Run!" she shouted, pulling him back towards the school.

The words and her hand in his spurred his movement and he followed her, Martha and the boy flanking on their sides. Again, the memory of his dream flashed in his mind, the memory of a strange basement and plastic men and a young blonde girl about to die...

He was snapped abruptly from his thoughts by Rose tugged on him harder, forcing him to move faster, lengthening his stride.

"We can't lead them back to the school!" she cried to Martha suddenly. "They'll kill everyone there!"

Martha shook her head. "We don't have a choice. We just have to move fast! But we need the Doctor!"

Mr. Smith stumbled at the words, his eyes widening. No, they could have meant any Doctor...

Rose seemed to struggle for words for a moment. "You go, then. And get him to safety," she said, gesturing with her head to the boy. "I'll get this one to the TARDIS. It's the only safe place!"

TARDIS? But he'd never written that word down in his journal. Where did they hear it? And why were they talking like all of this was real?

Rose, or as he knew her to be Jackie, tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him into another direction causing him to stumble.

"What on- Miss Tyler, where are we-"

"Shut up," she snapped at him. "If you keep talkin' you'll only slow us down." He wanted to protest further, but she looked back at him with a dangerous expression that rendered him silent. He looked behind them to see what it was they were supposed to be running from but saw nothing. His suspicions that these people were mad only increased with this observation.

They kept running, though, until they reached a small shed. Rose quickly pushed him inside, closing the door behind her. Seeing him open his mouth to speak, she slapped a hand over it and pushed him against the TARDIS to keep him still.

He stared down at her with wide, dark eyes, feeling a heat rise in his cheeks at their proximity. He could feel her chest heaving against his through her dress, and her breath was warm against the skin of his neck. They both remained shock still, fighting to control their breathing silently.

After a few long minutes, Rose finally pulled away, stepping back. John remained pressed up against the hard wooden surface of the TARDIS, watching her.

"Sorry," she whispered softly. "I know this is all probably horribly confusin' for you, and you probably think we're mad. But we're in danger, Mr. Smith. Serious danger."

John gave her an incredulous look. "Then explain, please, why you've had me running around like some wild animal and why we're now alone in a shed, disregarding any sense of propriety!" he hissed quietly.

Rose frowned. "Blimey," she muttered. "Well, I think the best place to start is with you turnin' around."

John wanted to ask what she meant, but something in her expression kept him silent. Instead, he turned to face whatever it was he was leaning against. What he saw had him stumbling back, gasping.

"It's called a TARDIS," Rose said. "Stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver key. She slid it into the lock, opening the doors. "And this is a space ship."

John gaped as he took in the impossibly vast interior, familiar to him from his dreams but terrifying and alien all the same.

"But this is- this is-" he struggled, unable to get the words out.

"It belonged to a man called the Doctor," Rose told him. "A man from another world who traveled through time and space. Somethin' happened though, and he had to come here, made himself human. And he forgot everythin'."

John looked at her, his mouth opening and closing in resemblance to a fish. "Impossible."

Rose smiled. His heart stopped. "Even like this you seem to love that word," she said so softly that he almost didn't catch her words. "You're him. You're the Doctor. Or you used to be. You're human, now, though, and you've forgotten who you are."

Madness. This was madness, John told himself. He must be dreaming because there was no way he was standing in a shed with a Rose-look-alike and a time traveling box being told that everything he dreamed about was true.

"I'm not- I'm not some Doctor," he protested weakly. "I'm just John Smith. I'm an ordinary human man, not some loon in a box!"

"John Smith," Rose repeated with a small smile. "I think that name is evidence enough. So unoriginal." She stepped into the TARDIS, walking towards the console, and John had to swallow back any thoughts of how naturally and beautifully she seemed to fit in. It was an alien box. She was a human.

"It's just a name," John defended. "And this is madness. None of this can be real. The Doctor is just a dream! The TARDIS is just a dream! None of it is real!"

Rose gazed at him, her expression full of such sorrow that he fell silent. She watched him, observing everything about him from the tip of his nose to the crease in his trousers. He was surprised to see tears forming in her eyes.

"You look just like him, y'know," she said, her voice thick with emotion. He swallowed nervously as she stepped towards him. "Same face, same hair, same bloody mole on your back between your shoulder blades, I bet." She smiled as he gaped at her. "But your eyes... they're so different... You look so much younger, so much more human..."

"Because I _am _huma-"

"Just shut up, will ya?" she snapped at him. "You look just like him, but you aren't him. And it's not fair. It's not fair to me, or to Martha, or to the Doctor, but it's especially not fair to you. Because we need the Doctor back, but I don't know what that means for you. But I know that the Doctor would give anythin' to be as burden free as you've been these last two months, yeah? You've got it all goin' for ya. I'm sure, if you wanted, you could get married. I've seen the way the Matron looks at you, and she's a nice woman, if a bit desperate. And you could have kids, grow old, and die happy. You could have all of that. And he can't."

Rose stepped even close to him, placing two hands against his chest, and he stopped breathing. She stared at where her hands lay contemplatively.

"Just one heart... The Doctor's got too much love and pain for only one... You're lucky. But now you'll have to give it all up, and for that... I'm so so sorry." She met his eyes then, and he thought he might cry himself when he saw the single tear slide down her cheek. "But we _need _the Doctor. And I know that you know I'm tellin' the truth. The Family... They'll kill everyone, and only he can stop them."

John shook his head, stepping away from her. This was insane. None of this could possibly be true. Aliens, time travel, the Doctor... None of it was real. It was all some dream he'd written in a journal.

"You lost your memory," he said suddenly. "You said so yourself, that you couldn't remember anything." He didn't know what that was supposed to prove, but he hoped it could turn into a rather decent argument.

The woman snorted, rolling her eyes. "Oh yes, because _that _just proves it, doesn't it? Forget the box that's bigger on the inside. I can't remember anythin', so this can't be real!" she cried sarcastically. "It was a lie, John. I remember everythin'. I know who I am. It's just you who's forgotten."

"It was a lie." He swallowed. "Your name too, then?" He almost wasn't sure if he wanted to know the truth, to know if she really was the woman of his dreams. Because while the Doctor loved her and thought the world of her, John Smith was terrified of her. He was terrified of how one single human girl could have an affect on a man as powerful as the Doctor. Before she could answer, he continued. "I've seen you. In my dreams. You're Rose, aren't you?"

Now it was her turn to look surprised. "You dream about me?"

He nodded jerkily. "All the time. Especially since you've shown up here. I keep seeing these- these visions... memories from his time with you. But you- you were gone. Forever. Which means you _can't _be here."

Rose looked away, folding her arms over her chest. "Yeah, well here I am..."

"You loved him," John stated. She met his gaze again for a moment, the pain in her eyes even more evident, before looking away.

"I still do," Rose murmured. She sighed. "Look, Martha will be here any moment. I've got to get out of this dress. Just... don't touch anythin', kay? I'll be right back." She gave him a warning look before disappearing down the corridor.

John sighed heavily and sagged against the door frame, running a hand through his hair, effectively messing it up. He didn't want to believe what she was saying... He didn't want to accept any of this as real. But, despite the madness of it all, it made sense. And really, he was standing in the biggest piece of evidence yet. And she knew the name... She called it a TARDIS, a name that echoed in his dreams. But he'd never written it down, never spoken it aloud.

Where else could she have her it if none of this were real?

Martha had just reached the edge of the forest when Timothy stopped running.

"Martha, wait," he panted. She stopped and turned to him.

"Timothy, we need to-" She stopped when he held out his hand, a familiar silver watch resting in his palm. She gaped. "Where did you get that?"

He gave her a guilty look. "I took it from Mr. Smith's study. I could hear it calling to me... I've seen him, Martha. I've seen the Doctor. I don't know how or why, but I can feel him inside, sleeping, waiting to be woken up."

Martha took the watch gingerly in her hands, half expecting to feel it thrumming with life. It was still and silent.

"Why did you wait until now to give it back?"

"He was hiding, waiting for the right time. And... I was scared. Of the Doctor." He looked down. Martha glanced behind them, relieved to see no one coming, and knelt down to his level.

"Thank you, Timothy. I'll be sure to get this back to him," she said and kissed his cheek. She stood and turned in the direction of the TARDIS.

"Oh, and Martha," he said. She turned to him. "When he sees Rose again, make sure he tells her. He wants to, but he's afraid, and he needs to tell her that he loves her."

Martha grinned, nodding. "Of course I will," she promised before turning and heading back to the TARDIS.

Rose emerged dressed in her favorite old jeans, a t-shirt and hoodie, and a pair of trainers perfect for running in.

"That's more like it. I was gettin' sick of that bloody dress," she said, flashing John a smile. He didn't return it, but she thought she saw a flash of amusement in his eyes.

"What are we going to do, then?" he asked her. "About those- those aliens."

Rose walked to the console and fingered one of the knobs. "I dunno. That's up to the Doctor. He's the only one who can stop them. Otherwise, they'll kill everyone."

"And what if I don't want to become the Doctor?" John snapped, glaring at her. Instead of responding similarly, Rose just gazed at him sadly, and this only angered him more. "Why don't I get a say in this? I'm real! I'm here! I'm alive and I can feel and think and make my own choices just as easily as your Doctor can! So why don't I get a choice? All you care about is having your Doctor back!"

Rose flinched. "Do you think I wanted this? I'm not even s'posed to be here. But I am, and just my luck I end up here, faced with a man who looks just like the Doctor but isn't him, and of course you're the only thing standin' between me an' him seein' each other again! And now I'm forced to convince you to- to practically kill yourself for all I know, and I hate it! He doesn't deserve this, and neither do you! But the lives of everyone on this stupid planet is at stake and so is the Doctor's life, and I'm not lettin' them win! I'm sorry, I am so sorry that he did this. I'm sorry that you have to do this, and that he'll never forgive himself for it either, but this is what has to happen!"

She finished off, panting heavily. He stared open-mouthed at her, fumbling for a response.

"Rose! Rose, I've got the watch!" Martha cried, bursting into the TARDIS. Rose relaxed a bit, sighing in relief.

"Right. I think I need a bit of fresh air. I'll keep watch outside. You two can deal with this, yeah? Get me if ya need me," she said before striding past them and out of the TARDIS, slamming the door shut. She closed the shed door behind her and leaned against the wall, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. She was shaking, she realized, and tears were building in her eyes.

Martha stared after her for a moment before turning to John. "What- did she explain to you what this was, then?" she asked hesitantly. John, glowering at his feet, nodded. Martha gave a small sigh of relief. "And what will you do?"

"I- I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? You have to make a choice, and you have to do it now," Martha protested. "They're going to kill-"

"Everyone, I know, yes," John snapped.

Rose was looking up at the darkening sky, contemplating the stars when she heard them approaching.  
>She looked forward, gasping as she saw dozens of scarecrows advancing around the shed, surrounding them. She opened the shed door and ran to the TARDIS, banging once on it.<p>

"Martha, lock the door! They're here! Whatever you do, don't let them in-" Rose's words were cut short and replaced with a scream as one of the scarecrows grabbed onto her, pulling her back. "Let me go!"

"Rose!" she her Martha cry from the other side.

"Don't open the door!" Rose shouted. "Just open the watch! Please just open the watch!"

Father of Mine entered the shed, grinning. "The Doctor's TARDIS," he breathed, touching the door. The moment his hand made contact a pain flared in Rose's mind and she cried out. He turned to her, inhaling deeply. "The girl smells of time."

Rose struggled against her straw captor. "Lemme go, dammit!" she bellowed. Her eyes widened in fear as the large man approached, a horrific smile twisting his features.

"Who needs a Time Lord when we have a girl bathed in Time itself? With you, girl, we could live forever."

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><p>Reviews are love people! I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Because you can never have enough disclaimers.**

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><p><em>Father of Mine entered the shed, grinning. "The Doctor's TARDIS," he breathed, touching the door.<em>

_ The moment his hand made contact a pain flared in Rose's mind and she cried out. He turned to her, inhaling deeply._

_ "The girl smells of time."_

_Rose struggled against her straw captor. "Lemme go, dammit!" she bellowed. Her eyes widened in fear as the large man approached, a horrific smile twisting his features._

_"Who needs a Time Lord when we have a girl bathed in Time itself? With you, girl, we could live forever."_

Rose shook her head at the man. He couldn't. Whatever was happening to her, Bad Wolf was involved, and if they got a hold of that power, or even just the eternity they craved, everything would go to hell.

"John! _Open the watch!_" she shrieked shrilly. She needed the Doctor.

The man grabbed Rose's face with his fat grubby fingers, effectively silencing her. Her tongue was caught painfully between her teeth and his grip on her jaw was tight and bruising. The tears that had built earlier spilled over, trailing down her already damp, reddened cheeks.

The rest of the Family entered the shed and crowded around her, eliminating any means of escape. Panic overwhelmed her. None of her Torchwood training or adventures with the Doctor could help her now. She was trapped, and the Family was going to do something to her resulting in making themselves immortal.

Her only hope was John, but would he really open the watch?

And even if he did, just what would the Doctor do? Rose believed in him more than anyone, but she just couldn't see how he would get them out of this in the next four seconds.

They were tensing.

They were preparing themselves.

There was no time.

They were-

Suddenly, there was gold, and Rose knew nothing.

Martha caught the man as he slumped to the ground, the open watch clattering to the floor. He was too heavy, though, and she carefully lowered him down.

He groaned in pain, holding his head, which was pounding painfully as if somewhat had just whacked it repeatedly with a mallet. The room around him spun and he was vaguely aware of Martha's voice speaking to him.

"Doctor? Doctor, are you alright?" she asked, her voice laced with fear. For a moment, he couldn't remember anything. Why was she so scared? What had happened? He could tell that they were in the TARDIS, but beyond that, he wasn't sure of anything. Had he fainted? He desperately hoped not, or he'd never hear the end of it. A Time Lord, fainting?

"Doctor," Martha called again, and he looked up at her, his vision beginning to clear. "Doctor, you need to get up. They've got Rose." The name stirred something in him, and suddenly everything was clear. He remembered. As if electrocuted, he jumped to his feet and leaped away from Martha.

"Where's my sonic?" he asked quickly, his voice taking on a familiar urgency. Quickly, Martha dug into her pocket and retrieved it. He was snatching it from her hand and running out of the doors before she could even begin to stand.

Pure fury was coursing through the Doctor's veins, and fear as well. When he exited the TARDIS to see the three possessed humans crowded around Rose's limp, lifeless body, his emotions only increased ten-fold.

She was just laying there, unmoving, against the large man, his hands supporting her easily. The Doctor could see where the man's hands gripped her arms tightly, clearly in an attempt to catch her.

She wasn't moving. But she wasn't dead. She couldn't be. The concept was unfathomable. His hearts clenched as he tore his gaze from her limp form to glare darkly at her captors.

"Get away from her," the Doctor seethed, pointing the screwdriver at them. The girl and boy backed away slightly, their expressions wary, though not as fearful as they truly should be. They should've been quivering and begging for mercy for what they'd done. But the Doctor gave them their chance. And now they'd hurt Rose. He was far beyond mercy now.

"What will you do, Doctor?" the man holding Rose asked. "Your sonic device is harmless. And you will not kill us. We have heard about you, Doctor. The man who will never wield a weapon."

The Doctor's grip on the screwdriver tightened. "I said get away from her. You do not want to know what I will do to you. You're going to regret ever trying to follow me, because now you're staring into a deep pit of trouble after what you've done. I gave you your chance. And now you and your family will pay for your choices. Gravely."

He took a step towards them. The little girl seemed to be the most frightened. She was closest to the door and made to run towards it, but the Doctor pressed a button on the sonic and it slammed shut, locking. She crashed into the door and turned to him, glaring.

When two scarecrows in the shed made towards him, Martha stepped out of the TARDIS and pointed something at them. It was the gun Rose had stolen from the Family. There was only a moment's notice for the Family before the two scarecrows were destroyed, and then Martha lowered the gun. The Doctor glanced at her, relieved at her quick actions, and looked back at the Family.

"I'm giving you one last warning. Let her go," he ordered. "It's over now. Don't make things worse for yourself." The Family seemed to finally understand, now, that it was hopeless. Father of Mine lowered Rose gently to the ground and stepped away from her. His son moved swiftly to her other side and stood by his family, who began to moved towards the wall. They watched him fearfully, unsure of what he might do.

While they knew the Doctor to be a pacifist, they also knew he could be dangerous and deadly. And Time Lords were a fearsome race. Just one was a force to be reckoned with. Even a non-violent one. Especially a non-violent one whose friend was in danger. And if his expression was anything to go by, the girl was a very special friend.

Martha moved quickly to Rose's side, checking her vitals. She gave a sigh of relief and looked at the Doctor. "She's fine, just unconscious."

At her words, some of the tension left the Doctor. Rose was alive. She was safe. And he'd never let her be harmed again.

"Are you aware of what you have, Doctor?" the father asked suddenly, risking a glance down at the girl. "Are you aware of the power that this human girl possesses?" He watched the confusion flicker across the Time Lord's face as his eyes looked down at his companion.

"What do you mean?" he prodded. The father smiled. He'd taken the bait. Good.

"She is no ordinary human Doctor. While you were busy playing human, we noticed that you weren't all that great. What you could give us is nothing compared to her."

The Doctor scowled, stepping closer. "What do you mean?" he repeated slowly, his fear once again rising. If Rose was still in danger...

"I'll tell you, Doctor, if you swear to spare my family and myself," the alien negotiated. The Doctor met his eyes again, seeming to consider his words.

"I swear both you and your children will live," he said finally. Father of Mine smiled.

"And my wife as well. Unfortunately, we did not have time to find her a proper host, but that can be easily rectified."

The Doctor raised a brow. "You won't be taking any more lives. But I won't kill her either. Now tell me."

The father grinned and looked down again at the sleeping human. "She smells of Time, Doctor. She is drenched in it. It is as if it has been wound into her very soul. At times it is hidden, and at first we could not detect it. But it is strong now, Doctor. If we were to consume it, we would live forever."

The Doctor paled. "That's impossible," he croaked. Because it had to be. The only reason she'd smell like that is because of when she'd looked into the heart of the TARDIS... But he'd taken it all out of her.

"And yet the smell is so strong now that it's intoxicating," the boy said, seeming to find the courage to speak. "We could have more than life from her, Doctor. We would have power." He drawled the words hungrily, and it set a disgusting feeling in his gut.

Martha glared at the boy and gripped Rose's hand tightly. She swore silently that she wouldn't let them anywhere near her.

"There are stories, Doctor," the father added casually. "Stories of a creature consumed by time. They are old legends on our planet. The Bad Wolf who cast the Father of Lies into a black hole. Who destroyed ancient races with the wave of its hand." His suspicions increased as he observed the emotions flitting across the Doctor's face. Shock, fear, denial, pride. "This girl is the closest thing we've seen to matching the legend."

The Doctor kept moving his gaze from Rose to his enemy.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Oh, the stuff of legends."

The Doctor allowed himself a small smirk. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Still, if that's all you have to say, I think it's best we get down to business. Martha, you stay here. Watch Rose. I'll be back in just a moment." He stepped to the side. "In the TARDIS you get, then."

The Family all wore similar expressions of confusion. "You promised-"

"And I intend to keep my promise." All amusement had left the Doctor's face, then. "Now get in the TARDIS."

The Family shuffled in, and the Doctor followed behind them, shutting the door.

Martha could only watch in silent amazement at the TARDIS dematerialized, leaving Martha alone in the dark shed with Rose.

"Well, looks like it's just me and you, then," she quietly mused to Rose, only slightly annoyed at being left behind. There was something about the Doctor's expression that frightened her, and she had a feeling that wherever the Doctor was taking them, she didn't want to see it.

Whatever the case, the Doctor was back, which meant she could finally leave the horrid place. She was so sick of being ordered about and having to follow so many rules and protocols and being put in her place. If only these people knew who she really was. What she was. She wasn't just some servant girl. She could imagine more than a few having a heart attack at the thought of her being a medical student. Or traveling through time and space with a man. Unmarried.

Not, of course, that they were doing anything. Especially now, it was immensely clear that nothing was going to happen between them. And when she saw they way he responded to the concept of Rose being in danger... When she saw how dedicated and how much love Rose felt for him...

Honestly, it was probably for the best. What she felt for the Doctor was a tiny little crush in comparison, and not worth pursuing. Especially not now, with Rose having returned and all.

She sat in silence for several minutes when a soft groan drew her from her thoughts.

"Rose?" she whispered, leaning over the woman. She touched her face, and Rose grimaced, her eyes slowly opening.

"My head..." the blonde muttered, sitting up slowly. Martha eased an arm behind her to help as she looked around. "What happened? Where- where's the Doctor?"

Martha smiled. "He's taking care of the Family. He should be back any moment now. What happened to you, though? Why'd you pass out like that?"

Rose scrunched her face in confusion. "I don't- I'm not sure. Can't really remember much right now. I think... They were 'bout to do somethin' to me... Kill me or somethin', but then I just blacked out..."

She tried pulling herself to her feet, and Martha helped her, leaning her against the wall.

"They were saying some really weird things about you. Something 'bout being covered in time, and a bad wolf... None of it made any sense," she recalled. Rose tensed.

"Bad Wolf," she murmured. "We'll need the Doctor to try and make any sense of that.."

As if summoned, wind blew throughout the shed and a familiar grinding noise sounded. Both of their faces lit up as the TARDIS materialized in front of them. A short moment of apprehension passed before the door opened and the Doctor stepped out. Rose noted that he'd changed back into his familiar brown pinstripes. The only thing missing was his coat, which she'd left on her bed earlier.

There was something dark and familiar about his expression, and Rose was reminded of his last self when she'd first met him, fresh from the Time War. But then his eyes landed on her and the expression softened.

She couldn't help the large grin that stretched across her face, and it only grew when he returned it. Unable to bear the distance any longer, they simultaneously launched themselves at each other, closing it. He caught her in a tight embrace, lighting her off her feet and spinning her around. His laughter was loud and joyous and so beautiful.

When he finally set her back on her feet she pulled away slightly to get a good look at him.

"Rose Tyler," he sighed in a scolding tone. "I've said it once, and I've said it again. Jeopardy friendly. I tell you something's impossible and you go and do it anyways."

Rose giggled. "Doctor, I think you need a new definition for the word impossible. I don't think it means what you think it does." The Doctor grinned.

"I think you might be right," he agreed. He kept his arms tight around her, relishing the feel of her body against his. After so long without her, the thought of releasing her was abhorrent. He never wanted to let her go. Ever again.

But then Martha was clearing her throat, and they both moved reluctantly away from each other. The Doctor stepped back and leaned against the TARDIS.

"Well, we'd better get ourselves inside, then. We've got a lot of catching up to do," he declared.

Without hesitation, Rose moved to the door and bounded excitedly into the TARDIS. The Doctor watched after her for a moment before gesturing for Martha to follow.

Inside, Rose plopped onto the captain's seat, beaming so brightly it almost hurt. The Doctor moved to stand across from her, leaning on the console. Martha shed her coat and placed it on the pillar, where the Doctor's coat normally rested.

"So how much do you remember, then?" Rose asked the Doctor, looking up at him curiously. She still was in awe of the fact that he was here. He was really here, and she was home, in the TARDIS.

The Doctor shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "It's still a bit fuzzy, but for the most part, I remember everything." He shuffled his feet. "I'm sorry. It must have been hard." He looked at Martha as he said this, guilt written all over his face.

Martha smiled softly. "I'm just glad it's over now. No more dealing with those rotten kids. If Rose hadn't shown up when she did I might've gone mad. It was nice talking to someone from my own time, after so long."

The Doctor returned her smile and directed his attention to Rose. "Now, then. I think it's time we figure out exactly how you got here, Miss Tyler," he suggested. Rose folded her hands in her lap.

"I dunno how I got here. But I think Bad Wolf might have somethin' to do with it," she began.

"What's Bad Wolf?" Martha asked quickly before she could continue.

"A very long story," the Doctor sighed. Rose giggled.

"We're in a time machine, Doctor," she reminded him with a roll of her eyes. "But he is right. Why don't we have a cuppa, then I can explain."

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>Sorry this took so long, guys! I hope you enjoyed it! All editing is thanks to the fantastic MintaClaire.<p><p>

Please review guys!


	10. HEY GUYZ

HAHAHAHAHA

WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME FINALLY FREAKING UPDATE

BECAUSE I WOULD

YEAH THAT SOUNDS NICE

WHO'S READY FOR AN UPDATE GUYZ

-PhoenixPheathers

P.S. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not really feeling myself today


	11. Chapter 10

WHAT IS THIS

IS THIS A CHAPTER

WHY ILL BE

IM NOT DONE YET

THIS IS GOING TO BE A MUCH LONGER STORY I SWEAR

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything yet. But I'm working on it. Really.**

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><p>"I think," Rose began, "the best place to start is the Gamestation." She launched into her tale, one she was well versed in after telling it to Tony as a bedtime story so many times. His favorite, though, was the story about the Doctor and the Christmas Aliens.<p>

However, due to her unfortunate memory loss of a large portion of the events, the Doctor took up the role to explain the details of absorbing the Time Vortex and the spreading of the phrase 'Bad Wolf'.

"The thing is," he said. "I took it out of you. If I hadn't, you'd have burnt up and died. Even the tiniest spark that was left would have killed you."

Rose nodded and sipped her tea. "Well, clearly, there's somethin' you don't know, Doctor. I mean, there's clearly way more to this than we thought. Even after the Gamestation, I'd been seein' Bad Wolf in places. That werewolf mentioned it. And then Bad Wolf Bay? Plus, in the parallel world, it was everywhere. Every telepathic alien race we ran into mentioned it, kept sayin' I smelled like time or somethin'. The Family said it to." Her brows knitted together. "But what does that mean?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know."

"And you think Bad Wolf is what brought you here?" Martha asked.

Rose nodded. "There's really nothing else it could have been. I just don't understand how." She fingered the rim of her cup and was once again reminded of the fact that her family had no clue where she was or if she was even alive. And they were probably in danger, considering Bad Wolf deemed an alien invasion as the perfect time for Rose to take her leave.

"The power of the time vortex is beyond anything you can imagine," the Doctor answered. "You were able to destroy an entire Dalek fleet with the wave of your hands. It was nothing. I'm sure with that power safely crossing the void wouldn't be to difficult either. It must have used your connection to the TARDIS to pull you here." He gazed at her thoughtfully. "What were you doing when you were pulled across?"

Rose bit her lip. "Well, as you know, I've been workin' for Torchwood over there. There seemed to be a rather annoying amount of aliens makin' themselves known for the past year or so. More than a few were intent on destroyin' the planet for whatever reason. It was like somethin' out of a bad movie," she laughed. "There was this alien... He said he was from Tevron VI or somethin' like that. Said his people were dyin' and he needed Earth's resources to help them. 'Parently that involved tryin' to kill the human race at the same time. I was in the middle of negotiating with him when he kinda went all... funny. Started talkin' bout Bad Wolf and stuff. And then he shot me. Next thing I knew, I was here."

"That's another thing," the Doctor said. "You were shot, but you healed so quickly. Now, I don't know what sort of weapon he used, but from the looks of that injury, it should have taken weeks to heal."

"Not just that," Martha added. "You _died _for a moment there."

Rose shuddered at the memory and nodded. "Maybe it did more than just bring me here. Although I still want to know why. I'm thrilled to be back, but my family is on the other side. And they could be in danger." Martha reached across the table and grasped her hand comfortingly. Rose gave a small smile.

"Well, if you were able to come here, maybe you can get back, too," Martha suggested. "Or at least communicate with them somehow, just to make sure they're alright."

Rose looked over at the Doctor, searching for some sign of affirmation, but he gave none.

"I don't like this," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "You shouldn't even be alive right now. We have no clue what could possibly be happening to your body. For all we know, what saved you may also be killing you."

Martha sighed and pursed her lips. "Well, you're awfully optimistic, aren't you?" she muttered, but smiled to show him she meant no harm in her words.

Before anyone could think to respond, Rose suddenly let out a large yawn. She covered her mouth and blushed lightly. "Guess we should continue tomorrow, then. I'm completely knackered." She took a final sip from her drink and rose from the table.

"Oh, a nice, proper warm bed sounds lovely," Martha agreed, standing as well.

"I'd better work on some repairs on the TARDIS. After sitting around doing nothing for so long, she probably needs a bit of a tune up," the Doctor mused. Martha left first as Rose brought the dishes to the sink to wash.

The Doctor watched her silently for a brief moment before standing and leaving the kitchen. Rose glanced back at his retreating form but said nothing. She felt uneasy being apart from him now that they were finally together, but she knew it would be okay. He was just going to do repairs. On the TARDIS. That she was now back in. So things were good.

Once finished, she headed down the hall to her bedroom.

In the console room, the Doctor rested underneath the grating as he worked on his beloved ship. He thought he might have been just seeing things, but her lights seemed to grow a bit brighter now, and she certainly sounded like her humming had increased. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she'd noticed Rose's return and was quite glad of it.

Then again, _did _he know any better? Anything involving Rose and this Bad Wolf was tricky business and he couldn't be sure of anything at this point. Except that Rose was back. And he was absolutely ecstatic.

It was about an hour or two later when he heard her footsteps approaching. The familiar sound of her slippers sliding on the metal grating grew louder and stopped by his feet.

"Can't sleep?" he asked her without looking away from his work. There was silence for a moment before he heard her sit on the captain's chair.

"Not really. Must be too excited after everythin' that's happened," she answered. The Doctor set down his tools and sat up to look at her. She was dressed in her pink and white stripped pajamas that they'd bought for her on Jartea X (the material was extremely rare and kept her body at a perfectly comfortable temperature- not too hot, and not too cold). Her hair was mussed from her pillow and it was a struggle for the Doctor not to stare too long.

He stood and plopped beside her on the seat, pulling her body against his.

"Then I guess I'll just have to sit with you here until you do," he decided, giving her a bright grin. She returned it, though there were tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, his smile dropping into a frown.

Rose swallowed, struggling for words. "I just- I can't believe I'm back. After all of this time, I'm finally home." The Doctor smiled and kissed her head.

"Well that's nothing to cry about," he chuckled. Rose sniffled and nodded. He watched her as she carefully thought about her next words.

"I love you."

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><p>SEE GUYS<p>

I DID IT

ANOTHER CHAPTER

SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG

WOW I CANT BELIEVE I FINALLY GOT THIS DONE

PLEASE REVIEW


	12. Chapter 11

Hey! Hey look! Is this what I think it is? It is! Another chapter!

And by the way, thank you so much for the reviews. I love watching you guys squirm because of my cliffhangers.

Maybe that's why Moffat is so cruel.

**Disclaimer: The one who claims this property happens to be very, very far away at the moment and won't be returning for quite some time. So in his place, I am here to let you all know YOU CAN't SUE ME FOR SHIT.**

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><p>He'd heard the words spoken before, and he'd even played them over and over in his head ever since. But hearing them spoken now like this still took his breath away. What could he possibly say in response to such a declaration? Saying the words back felt useless, because she already knew. And for him, they just wouldn't be enough. What he felt for her went so much further and deeper than love.<p>

But the Doctor wasn't sure there was a way that he could express that. Not anymore.

"I never did get to finish that sentence, did I?" he mused softly, resting his forehead on hers. He could feel her skin flush against his at their proximity. "It's quite funny actually. A Time Lord running out of time. But that's what you do to me, Rose Tyler. I'm so head over heels for you that I even lose track of time."

Rose gave a wide, ear-to-ear grin her tongue resting between her teeth. "'Bout time you admitted it. Thought I might have to force it out of ya," she teased. The Doctor quirked a single over-expressive brow.

"Oh really? And why is that?" he asked her.

"Well," she began. "Considerin' you still haven't _kissed _me yet, I can tell you're quite afraid of something. Perhaps love isn't your best area. Bit rusty, are we? Scared you won't be able to preform up to par?"

Now it was the Doctor's turn to flush slightly. "Oi, I may be nine hundred and four but I still know how to- _love_, and I'm quite good at it actually."

Rose giggled, a hand trailing up his chest to grip the lapel of his jacket. She felt a familiar sense of confidence rushing through her, the kind she always got around very attractive men that she knew found her incredibly hard to resist. It was something she hadn't felt in years, and she relished it. As she moved up slightly to place her lips against the Doctor, she felt him shudder slightly. He now had one hand on her waist and the other drifting slowly down her back. She smirked.

"_Prove it_," she challenged him in a husky voice. As she slowly pulled away, she could tell he was working up the courage to do _something_. But the universe seemed to enjoy watching them squirm far too much. A loud, urgent sounding beeping sounded from the console, drawing their attention. The Doctor stared at the monitor from his position on the chair with a look Rose thought resembled the look a teenage boy might give to his mother after being caught with a girl.

"You gonna get that?" she asked him, amused. With a resigned sigh, the Doctor pulled himself away from Rose and walked to the monitor. He stared at it for a moment, reading the flashing symbols that Rose could not understand, utterly confounded.

"The TARDIS is picking up dangerous energy signatures. Something's wrong. Very very wrong. We need to check it out now." He began flipping switches and pulling levers, setting a destination for the TARDIS. Rose scooted off of the seat.

"Now? What happened to gettin' some rest?" she wondered, clinging to the console as the TARDIS began to rock and shake. The Doctor grinned at her and wiggled his brows.

"Oh, c'mon. You know you love it," he teased. The TARDIS gave a final heavy jerk, indicating that they'd landed, and they fell too the grating, side by side. A familiar sensation of bliss washed through her that she never thought she'd feel again.

The Doctor stood and pulled her too her feet. "Go wake Martha," he instructed, pointing down the hall.

"Yes sir." Rose skipped down the hall to Martha's room. She worried for a moment that Martha might be upset about being woken, but then decided she was probably more than used to it.

She knocked on the door lightly and bounced on her feet as she waited for Martha to answer. She could hear the shuffling of her feet growing closer to the door before it swung open.

Martha stood in her pink silk pajamas, squinting at the invading light of the hallway.

"Somethin' wrong?" she asked.

Rose gave her a grin. "TARDIS is pickin' up weird energy signals or somethin'. The Doctor wants to check 'em out. you up to it?" she asked.

Martha sighed and gave a large yawn. "Blimey. Doesn't he sleep?" she sighed. "Just gimmie a mo' to get myself ready. Can't go out fightin' aliens in my pajamas."

"Oh, I dunno," Rose replied, but let Martha go. In retrospect, Martha had a point. Rose had a feeling going out in her work pink duckie pajamas and dressing gown wouldn't be the best idea. She headed off to her own room to quickly change and prepare herself. However, when she saw no suitable clothes in her closest based on her reformed style, she promptly headed for the wardrobe.

She had no clue where the Doctor was going to land them, or when for that matter, but she decided to keep it simple with a pair of jeans and a black halter top.

As she walked back out into the console room, her hair and teeth brushed and her makeup fresh, she noticed the Doctor under the console, back at work as he waited.

"So where are we?" Rose asked, kicking the Doctor's foot lightly. He sat up carefully, the sonic placed between his teeth. He removed it before answering.

"Can't be sure. The TARDIS followed the source of the signatures but the temporal energy is interfering with its navigational features. We could be anywhere and anywhen." He grinned widely at her. "That's okay, though. More fun that way, right?"

"For you, maybe," Martha grumbled, entering the room. She leaned against the console. "We good to go outside? We're not gonna get suffocated or killed by radiation or anythin', are we?" she wondered, looking towards the doors with caution.

"Nope. Wherever we landed, it's completely safe, I assure you," the Doctor replied, standing. He pulled on his coat and skipped towards the doors. "Allons-y!"

Martha followed him first, Rose close behind. The latter stopped however just at the doors.

"Hold on! Forgot somethin'!" she called, turning back and running down the hall. The Doctor spared her a brief glance before examining his surroundings.

"Earth," he noted with surprise. "21st century, my guess." In front of them loomed a large, abandoned mansion that appeared decades old.

"Well what's so unusual 'bout this place?" Martha wondered, looking around. She spotted nothing of significance around them. Black, iron gates. A hideous angel statue. A horribly kept front yard. "Looks like no one's been here for ages."

The Doctor stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I dunno. There's nothing here. I mean, there could be something inside..." he mused, gazing out towards the house. Martha followed his gaze, but then noticed something odd in the corner of her eye. She glanced back to where she'd seen the statue. But it was gone.

"Weird..." she murmured softly.

"What is?" the Doctor asked, his back to her still.

Martha shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. "Nothin'. Just thought I saw-" Whatever she was going to say next went unspoken as Martha vanished from that very spot. At her silence, the Doctor turned around. Where Martha had been before, a stone angel stood in her place, its angry eyes fixed on the Doctor. The Doctor tensed as he recognized what he was dealing with.

"Weeping angels. That explains it," he gasped, making sure to keep his eyes trained on his enemy. "You've been snatching people up from here, haven't you? That's what the TARDIS was detecting."

Naturally, the angel remained silent. The Doctor prayed that it was the only one.

"Sorry 'bout that. Forgot my phone," Rose called, opening the TARDIS door to step outside.

Acting on instinct, the Doctor turned towards her and pushed her back towards the TARDIS. "Rose, stay insi-"

And then he was gone. Rose stumbled back as the Doctor vanished, gaping at the snarling angel that had taken him. "What the hell?" she gasped, eyes wide. She blinked, and the angel was suddenly closer, its clawed hands reaching out towards her. With a cry of surprise, she stepped further back into the TARDIS and slammed the doors shut. The instant they closed, the TARDIS began to rock violently as if something outside was trying to shake her out. With a scream, Rose clung to a coral strut for dear life.

_Great, _she thought. _Not even a full day passed and already the Doctor and Martha are missing, i've got bloody statues tryin' to kill me, and no clue what to do._

* * *

><p>The Doctor groaned in pain as he landed on the hard concrete of the alley ground. He heard a familiar voice cry out his name and small hands turning him onto his back. Martha's face swam into view as his body adjusted.<p>

"Doctor! Are you alright? What happened?"

The Doctor sat up and rubbed his neck. "Blimey. Time travel without a capsule is always a killer," he whined. "That was a weeping angel we just saw. Creatures that send you back in time with a single touch and feed off of your potential time. Only move when you're not looking at them." Carefully, and with Martha's assistance, he rose to his feet. "Rose should be safe in the TARDIS, but we're stuck here until we can find a way back."

Martha looked around the damp alley, a scowl on her face. "And where is _here_ exactly?"

* * *

><p>"I can't say I'm surprised, really," the Doctor said, siding into a booth. The cafe they'd entered was small and quiet. Martha sat across from him.<p>

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I knew I'd be running into them sometime soon," he explained, resting his elbows onto the table. "Remember a few weeks ago, that girl that stopped us in the street. Sally Sparrow was her name."

Martha nodded, vaguely remembering the incident.

* * *

><p><em>The Doctor followed after Martha down the street towards their destination when he heard a voice calling his name.<em>

_"Doctor! Doctor!" He paused and spun around, watching as an unfamiliar woman rushed to meet him, an envelope in hand.  
><em>

_"Hello, sorry, bit of a rush. There's a sort of... thing... happening. Very important that we stop it-"  
><em>

_"Oh my god it's you," the girl said, staring at him in awe. "It really is you." Martha stepped closer, curious to see who the girl was. "Oh, you really don't remember me, do you?"  
><em>

_"Doctor, we haven't got time for this. Migration's started," Martha reminded him, turning back towards the end of the street.  
><em>

_The Doctor nodded in understanding and faced the stranger. "Look, sorry, I've got a bit of a... complex life. Things don't always happen to me in the right order. Get's a bit confusing at times. Especially weddings," he recalled, getting off track. Martha sighed and turned back to him again. "I'm rubbish at weddings. Especially my own."  
><em>

_As he spoke, something seemed to dawn on the woman. "Oh my god, of course. You're a time traveler. It hasn't happened to you yet! None of it! It's still in your future!"  
><em>

_"What hasn't happened?"  
><em>

_"Doctor, please! Twenty minutes until Red Hatching!" The Doctor glanced at Martha briefly before looking at the woman again.  
><em>

_"Oh, it was me. Oh, for god's sake it was me all along. You got it all from me!"  
><em>

_Clearly seeing that this could be something vital to his future, he raised his brows in interest. "Got what?"  
><em>

_The woman took a deep breath. "Okay. Listen. One day you're gonna get stuck in 1969." The Doctor nodded, his lips turning downward in nonchalance at the news. Not the weirdest thing that's happened to him. "Make sure you've got this with you." The woman held out the envelope, which the Doctor took. "You're gonna need it."  
><em>

_"Doctor!" Martha shouted.  
><em>

_"Yeah, listen, listen. Gotta dash. Things happening- well, four things- well, four things and a lizard."  
><em>

_"Okay, no you go." the woman said, smiling. Then she looked around, clearly confused. "But where's- never mind. See you around someday!" The Doctor began walking away but then paused and turned back.  
><em>

_"What was your name?" he asked._

_"Sally Sparrow."  
><em>

_The Doctor smiled at the name. It reminded him of the name of the antagonist of a book or movie. "Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow." He looked behind her as a man approached, a similar look of awe as the one that Sally had worn just moments before. The Doctor watched as Sally took his hand and grinned.  
><em>

_"Good-bye Doctor. And-" she hesitated. "Be sure that you take good care of her." Before the Doctor could inquire who 'she' was, Sally turned and led her companion into the shop behind them. The Doctor raised a brow in confusion and amusement before turning and running back after Martha._

* * *

><p>"I didn't think of it much after that," the Doctor admitted. "But seeing as we <em>are <em>stuck in 1969, I think it might be time to check out that envelope."

"But how do we get it?" Martha asked, but her questioned was answered was the Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out the large envelope.  
>"Do I even want to know how that fit in there?"<p>

The Doctor looked at her with wide, innocent eyes. "What? They're just trans-dimensional pockets. Nothing weird about that." Martha rolled her eyes.

"Right. Let's just have a look at it then. The sooner we get back, the better. The less time spent stuck in such horrible time periods, the better." She looked over at an older man across the cafe who had been giving her a distasteful expression earlier.

The Doctor grimaced and opened the envelope, dumping out its contents. Photos and typed documents fell out, and they carefully examined each one.

"Look, Doctor," Martha gasped, showing him one of the pictures. "It's Rose!" Indeed, in the picture was Rose, standing in a room that he assumed was in the house they had been outside of previously. There was something odd about the picture, though. He couldn't see her face, as she was turned watching a statues in front if her. And the statue was cowering.

"What the hell?"

"Bad Wolf?" Martha guessed. The Doctor set the picture down and rubbed his face.

"Probably. Oooh, I _really _don't like this."

"I'm not to fond of it either, honest," Martha sighed, leaning against the back of her seat. "So how do we get back?"

"I'm hoping we'll find the answer in all of this," the Doctor replied, gesturing to the papers.

"Well then," Martha started. "We'd best get to work."

* * *

><p>I hope you guys enjoyed this! I promised this would be much longer, didn't I?<p>

Please review, let me know what you think!


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